cowbane

9.9

A poisonous plant in the parsley family that can kill farm animals if they eat it

noun
/ˈkaʊˌbeɪn/

Specialized

: cicuta

Farmers warn that cowbane can be deadly to cattle if ingested.

Examples

The field was cleared of cowbane to protect the grazing sheep.
Children are taught to avoid touching cowbane because of its toxic properties.
The cowbane is highly toxic to cattle.
Farmers should be aware of cowbane in their fields.
Farmers warn that cowbane can be deadly to cattle if ingested.
The field was cleared of cowbane to protect the grazing sheep.
Children are taught to avoid touching cowbane because of its toxic properties.

Synonyms

henbane

vscowbane

Specialized

1 9.9

A poisonous herb with sticky, hairy leaves and yellowish brown flowers

is a parsley-family pasture toxin rather than a nightshade used for alkaloids

wolfbane

vscowbane

1 9.9

A poisonous plant that lives for many years with yellow flowers and broad rounded leaves

is a parsley-family livestock poison rather than this different poisonous species

water hemlock

vscowbane

9.9

A tall very poisonous plant that grows near streams and has leaves and roots that can kill animals or people

is toxic but defined by harm to livestock rather than extreme human poison

spotted cowbane

vscowbane

9.9

A tall poisonous plant with purple-spotted stems and roots like small potatoes

is the parsley-family poison especially noted for harming grazing animals when eaten

poison parsley

vscowbane

9.9

A tall plant with fernlike leaves and white flowers that can make animals or people very ill

is similarly toxic but emphasized for harming livestock rather than general plant danger

Aethusa

vscowbane

Specialized

9.9

A poisonous plant like parsley that people call fool's parsley

is the single poisonous species known for harming livestock when eaten

lesser hemlock

vscowbane

9.9

A plant that looks like parsley and can make you very sick if eaten

is mainly noted for poisoning grazing animals rather than causing mild human nausea

poison bush

vscowbane

Australian

8.9

A plant from Australia with leaves and other parts that can make farm animals sick

is a parsley-family poison not limited to a specific region like Australia

poison milkweed

vscowbane

8.9

A milkweed plant from the southwestern United States and Mexico that makes farm animals very sick

is a parsley-family plant rather than a milkweed that also harms animals

horsetail milkweed

vscowbane

Specialized

9.9

A plant that grows in dry areas and is poisonous to farm animals

is defined by parsley-family identity and livestock harm, not milkweed classification

mustard tree

vscowbane

9.9

An evergreen shrub from South America whose leaves can poison farm animals

is an herbaceous parsley-family plant, not a shrub responsible for occasional poisonings

sowbane

vscowbane

Archaic

9.9

A plant that is poisonous to pigs

is the broader livestock poison affecting grazing animals generally rather than only swine

Hyoscyamus

vscowbane

Specialized

9.9

A group of poisonous plants like henbane that belong to the nightshade family

is a parsley-family plant and so differs from nightshade genera

black henbane

vscowbane

Specialized

9.9

A poisonous plant with sticky, hairy leaves and yellow-brown flowers from Europe, Asia and North Africa

is a pasture poison in the parsley family rather than a nightshade species

Egyptian henbane

vscowbane

Specialized

9.9

A poisonous plant from North Africa and the Middle East whose leaves people use in medicine

is the poisonous pasture plant defined by livestock harm rather than alkaloid use

Compounds

spotted cowbane

9.9

A tall poisonous plant with purple-spotted stems and roots like small potatoes

Surface Forms

cowbane singular

cowbanes plural

Morphology

cowbane = cow + bane (transparent) = cow + bane

A literal compound meaning 'something that is harmful or fatal to cows', so the components directly indicate the sense.

Etymology

Cowbane comes from the parts cow and bane, where bane is an old word meaning 'poison' or 'killer'. So it literally means 'poison for cows', which explains why the plant is dangerous to livestock.