belladonna
4
9.9
- noun
- /ˌbɛləˈdɑnə/
- Specialized
:
belladona
- Doctors sometimes use belladonna extract in small doses to treat certain medical conditions.
- toxic belladonna
- belladonna plant
Examples
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Eyelashes were oiled to create a dewy look, and drops of belladonna, a poisonous herb, were used to enlarge the pupils.
Blog text (19) -
Dr. Silkworth sedated Wilson and began administering treatment with belladonna.
Academic text (1997) -
And yet it is belladonna, the most deadly nightshade.
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The narcotic action of belladonna can produce paralysis by affecting the central nervous system.
Blog text (19) -
The leaves of the belladonna plant can be incredibly toxic if ingested.
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In folklore, belladonna was often associated with both beauty and danger due to its poisonous nature.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A poisonous plant with bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries used to make atropine
1
9.7
A poisonous plant with bell-shaped flowers and shiny black or red berries
A poisonous plant with bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries used to make the medicine atropine
Compounds
- Specialized
1
9.9
A poisonous plant with bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries used to make atropine
- South African
A South African plant with large sweet-smelling white or pink flowers
- Specialized
A plant that grows from a bulb and has large pink or white bell-shaped flowers
- Specialized
A poisonous plant with bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries used to make the medicine atropine
How Poisonous
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word belladonna comes from the Italian words bella 'beautiful' and donna 'woman', because women once put its juice in their eyes to make their eyes look larger and more beautiful. Today belladonna is the name for a poisonous plant, also called 'deadly nightshade', that is sometimes used very carefully in medicine.