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henbane

Today it means: Any member of the species Hyoscyamus niger of poisonous plants, used sometimes as a drug that causes at least hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlessness, and flushed skin. Full definition →

Middle English henbane

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The story

Middle English · inherited fromhenbane
English todayhenbane

From Middle English henbane, hennebane ( > French hanebane), equivalent to hen + bane. Cognate with Danish hønsebane, Swedish hönsbane. Compare also Old English hennebelle (“henbane”, literally “hen-bell”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.