Meanings
plural henbanes
- countableuncountableAny 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.
Henbane acts as an anaphrodisiac.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 1142 more examples
Deadly nightshade, henbane, hellebore and mandrakes were of evil reputation[.]
1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 157After studying the book for several minutes, he began to assemble a weird collection of plants and herbs on the floor in front of him. Hemlock and foxglove, ivy and deadnettle, henbane and marigold[.]
1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 12Synonyms: black henbane, hog's bane, hog's bean, stinking nightshade
- countableuncountableAny other plant of the genus Hyoscyamus.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny 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.
Hyoscyamus
More synonyms by meaning
nounpoisonous fetid Old World herb having sticky hairy leaves and yellow-brown flowers; yields hyoscyamine and scopolamine
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishhenbane
- Englishhenbane
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”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὑοσκύαμος
- ὑοσκύαμος (huoskúamos)Hyoscyamus niger
Arabic بَنْج
- بَنْج (banj)Hyoscyamus niger
Bulgarian буника, блен
- буника (bunika)Hyoscyamus niger
- блен (blen)Hyoscyamus niger
- попадийка (popadijka)Hyoscyamus niger
Catalan jusquiam
- jusquiamHyoscyamus niger
Chinese Mandarin 天仙子, 莨菪
- 天仙子 (tiānxiānzǐ)Hyoscyamus niger
- 莨菪 (làngdàng)Hyoscyamus niger
Czech blín
- blínHyoscyamus niger
Danish bulmeurt
- bulmeurtHyoscyamus niger
Dutch bilzekruid
- bilzekruidHyoscyamus niger
Esperanto hiskiamo
- hiskiamoHyoscyamus niger
Finnish hullukaali
- hullukaaliHyoscyamus niger
French jusquiame
- jusquiameHyoscyamus niger
German Bilsenkraut
- BilsenkrautHyoscyamus niger
Greek δαιμοναριά
- δαιμοναριά (daimonariá)Hyoscyamus niger
Hungarian beléndek, bolondító beléndek
- beléndekHyoscyamus niger
- bolondító beléndekHyoscyamus niger
Irish caoch na gcearc, gafann
- caoch na gcearcHyoscyamus niger
- gafannHyoscyamus niger
Italian giusquiamo, dente di cavallo
- giusquiamoHyoscyamus niger
- dente di cavalloHyoscyamus niger
Japanese ヒヨス, 菲沃斯
- ヒヨス (hiyosu)Hyoscyamus niger
- 菲沃斯 (hiyosu)Hyoscyamus niger
Korean 사리풀
- 사리풀 (saripul)Hyoscyamus niger
Latin baccīna, alterculum
- baccīnaHyoscyamus niger
- alterculumHyoscyamus niger
- hyoscyamusHyoscyamus niger
Latvian driģene
- driģeneHyoscyamus niger
Lithuanian drignė
- drignėHyoscyamus niger
Norwegian Bokmål bulmeurt
- bulmeurtHyoscyamus niger
Persian بنگ, منگ
- بنگ (bang)Hyoscyamus niger
- منگ (mang)Hyoscyamus niger
Polish lulek czarny, lulek
- lulek czarnyHyoscyamus niger
- lulekany plant of the genus Hyoscyamus
Portuguese meimendro
- meimendroHyoscyamus niger
Romanian măselariță
- măselarițăHyoscyamus niger
Russian белена́
- белена́ (belená)Hyoscyamus niger
Scottish Gaelic gafann
- gafannHyoscyamus niger
Slovak blen
- blenHyoscyamus niger
Spanish beleño
- beleñoHyoscyamus niger
Swedish bolmört
- bolmörtHyoscyamus niger
Turkish kara banotu
- kara banotuHyoscyamus niger
Ukrainian блекота́
- блекота́ (blekotá)Hyoscyamus niger
Welsh llewyg yr iâr
- llewyg yr iârHyoscyamus niger
Yiddish שגעון גראז
- שגעון גראז (shigoen groz)Hyoscyamus niger
Cite this entry
henbane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/henbane
“henbane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/henbane. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “henbane,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/henbane.
Source: henbane on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.