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cowbane

 - 4 dictionary results

cow⋅bane

  [kou-beyn]
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–noun
any of several poisonous plants of the parsley family, as Oxypolis rigidior, of swampy areas of North America, or the water hemlock, Cicuta maculata.
Origin:
1770–80; cow 1 + bane
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cow·bane   (kou'bān')   
n.  

  1. A perennial North American herb (Oxypolis rigidior) having pinnately compound leaves and umbels of small white flowers.

  2. Any of several related plants, such as the water hemlock.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cowbane
—see SPOTTED COWBANE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Encyclopedia

cowbane

any of several poisonous plants, including seven species of Oxypolis, in the parsley family (Apiaceae), that are especially poisonous to cattle. The plants grow in marshes and are widely distributed in North America. They have clusters of white flowers surrounded by bracts (modified leaves). The most common species is O. rigidior, which is also called water-dropwort. Several species of Cicuta are also called cowbane (see water hemlock).

Learn more about cowbane with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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