jimson weed

American  

[jim-suhn] / ˈdʒɪm sən /

Also jimpson weed

noun

1. a coarse, rank-smelling weed, Datura stramonium, of the nightshade family, having oaklike, poisonous leaves and tubular white or lavender flowers.

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jimson weed British  

/ ˈdʒɪmsən /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): thorn apple.  a poisonous solanaceous plant, Datura stramonium, of the N hemisphere, having white funnel-shaped flowers and spiny capsule fruits

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Etymology

Origin of jimson weed

1805–15, variant of Jamestown weed, after Jamestown, Virginia

Example Sentences

Justify, along with six other horses among five trainers, tested positive for jimson weed, which it was believed the horses ingested in their feed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2025

In addition to Justify, stablemate Hoppertunity tested positive for scopolamine, a compound that is naturally present in jimson weed.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2020

The racing board won’t file a complaint against Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert because of what it called “substantial evidence” that the scopolamine resulted from environmental contamination from jimson weed.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2020

Baffert had denied giving the horse scopolamine, and blamed the contamination on jimson weed, which grows wild in California.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2020

In one was a withered stalk of jimson weed.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner