hellebore

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: hel=le=bore

CIDE DICTIONARY

hellebore, n. [L. helleborus, elleborus, Gr. , ; cf. F. hellébore, ellébore.].

•  A genus of perennial herbs (Helleborus) of the Crowfoot family, mostly having powerfully cathartic and even poisonous qualities. Helleborus niger is the European black hellebore, or Christmas rose, blossoming in winter or earliest spring. Helleborus officinalis was the officinal hellebore of the ancients.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any plant of several species of the poisonous liliaceous genus Veratrum, especially Veratrum album and Veratrum viride, both called white hellebore.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

hellebore, n.
1 any evergreen plant of the genus Helleborus, having large white, green, or purplish flowers, e.g. the Christmas rose.
2 a liliaceous plant, Veratrum album.
3 hist. any of various plants supposed to cure madness.

Etymology

ME f. OF ellebre, elebore or med.L eleborus f. L elleborus f. Gk (h)elleboros

ROGET THESAURUS

hellebore

Bane

N bane, curse, evil, hurtfulness, painfulness, scourge, damnosa hereditas, white elephant, sting, fang, thorn, tang, bramble, brier, nettle, poison, toxin, teratogen, leaven, virus venom, arsenic, antimony, tartar emetic, strychnine, nicotine, miasma, miasm, mephitis, malaria, azote, sewer gas, pest, Albany hemp, arsenious oxide, arsenious acid, bichloride of mercury, carbonic acid, carbonic gas, choke damp, corrosive sublimate, fire damp, hydrocyanic acid, cyanide, Prussic acid, hydrogen cyanide, marsh gas, nux vomica, ratsbane, hemlock, hellebore, nightshade, belladonna, henbane, aconite, banewort, bhang, ganja, hashish, Upas tree, Toxline (online), rust, worm, helminth, moth, moth and rust, fungus, mildew, dry rot, canker, cankerworm, cancer, torpedo, viper, demon, toxicology, baneful, poisonous, phr, bibere venenum in auro, Contingent Subservience.