wolf's bane
- noun
- /wʊlfz beɪn/
- UK
:
bane de lobo
- Gardeners should handle wolf's bane with care due to its poisonous nature.
Examples
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I found some wolf's bane growing near the riverbank.
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The roots of wolf's bane were once believed to have medicinal properties, despite their high toxicity.
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In folklore, wolf's bane was reputed to ward off evil spirits and wolves.
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The herbalist recommended wolf's bane for its medicinal properties.
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Gardeners should handle wolf's bane with care due to its poisonous nature.
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The roots of wolf's bane were once believed to have medicinal properties, despite their high toxicity.
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In folklore, wolf's bane was reputed to ward off evil spirits.
Synonyms
A plant that lives for several years with bright yellow flowers like a daisy
Surface Forms
Morphology
wolf's + bane
The phrase transparently combines 'wolf's' (possessive indicating the target) with 'bane' (a source of harm or poison), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes something that harms or kills wolves — historically a poisonous plant. This target+’bane’ compositional logic is predictable and thus accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Wolf's bane comes from old stories that people used the plant to poison or scare away wolves. The parts wolf and bane show the idea, because bane means 'something that harms', so the name reminds us it is a poisonous plant once thought to 'keep wolves away'.
