Nearby Words
noun
1.
Also called deadly nightshade. a poisonous plant, Atropa belladonna, of the nightshade family, having purplish-red flowers and black berries.
2.
Pharmacology. a drug from the leaves and root of this plant, containing atropine and related alkaloids: used in medicine to check secretions and spasms, to relieve pain or dizziness, and as a cardiac and respiratory stimulant.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To belladonna
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Belladonna
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
| belladonna (ˌbɛləˈdɒnə) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | either of two alkaloid drugs, atropine or hyoscyamine, obtained from the leaves and roots of the deadly nightshade |
| 2. | another name for deadly nightshade |
| [C16: from Italian, literally: beautiful lady; supposed to refer to its use by women as a cosmetic] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
belladonna
1590s, "deadly nightshade" (Atropa belladonna), from It., lit. "fair lady," supposedly because women made cosmetic eye-drops from its juice (it has a well-known property of dilating the pupils) or because it was used to poison beautiful women.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
belladonna bel·la·don·na (běl'ə-dŏn'ə)
n.
A poisonous Eurasian perennial herb having usually solitary, purplish-brown, bell-shaped flowers and glossy black berries. Also called deadly nightshade.
An alkaloidal extract or tincture derived from this plant.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
belladonna  (běl'ə-dŏn'ə) Pronunciation Key
A preparation of the dried leaves or roots of deadly nightshade or related plants in the genus Belladonna, once used as a medicine. Belladonna contains several alkaloids that affect the nervous system by blocking the effects of acetylcholine. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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