nightshade

N1I1G2H4T1S1H4A1D2E1
/ˈnaɪt.ʃeɪd/

noun

Any of the poisonous plants belonging to the genus Solanum, especially black nightshade or woody nightshade.

OriginMiddle English nyȝtschade ← Old English nihtsċada ← Proto-West Germanic *nahtskadō →
Less commonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounnightshade (plural nightshades)

plural nightshades

  1. Any of the poisonous plants belonging to the genus Solanum, especially black nightshade or woody nightshade.
  2. colloquialAny plant of the wider Solanaceae family, including the nightshades as well as tomato, potato, eggplant, and deadly nightshade.
  3. Belladonna or deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna).
  4. Any of several plants likened to nightshade, usually because of similar dark-colored berries.

Origin

  1. Proto-West Germanic*nahtskadō“nightshade”
  2. Old Englishnihtsċada
  3. Middle Englishnyȝtschade
  4. Englishnightshade

From Middle English nyȝtschade, niȝteschode, nyght shade, from Old English nihtsċada, from Proto-West Germanic *nahtskadō (“nightshade”), corresponding to night + shade. Compare Dutch nachtschade (“nightshade”), German Nachtschatten (“nightshade”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek στρύχνον
  • στρύχνον (strúkhnon)plant of genus Solanum
Arabic مَغْد, حَدَق
  • مَغْد (maḡd)plant of genus Solanum
  • حَدَق (ḥadaq)plant of genus Solanum
Bulgarian кучешко грозде
  • кучешко грозде (kučeško grozde)plant of genus Solanum
Catalan morella
  • morellaplant of genus Solanum
Chinese Mandarin 茄屬植物 /茄属植物
  • 茄屬植物 /茄属植物plant of genus Solanum
Czech lilek
  • lilekplant of genus Solanum
Dutch nachtschade
  • nachtschadeplant of genus Solanum
Esperanto solano
  • solanoplant of genus Solanum
Finnish koiso
  • koisoplant of genus Solanum
French morelle
  • morelleplant of genus Solanum
German Nachtschattengewächs, Nachtschatten
  • Nachtschattengewächsplant of genus Solanum
  • Nachtschattenplant of genus Solanum
Greek σολάνο, στρύχνος
  • σολάνο (soláno)plant of genus Solanum
  • στρύχνος (strýchnos)plant of genus Solanum
Hebrew סוֹלָנוּם
  • סוֹלָנוּם (solanum)plant of genus Solanum
Hungarian csucsor, ebszőlő
  • csucsorplant of genus Solanum
  • ebszőlőplant of genus Solanum
Irish lus na hoíche
  • lus na hoícheplant of genus Solanum
Latin sōlānum, loba
  • sōlānumplant of genus Solanum
  • lobaplant of genus Solanum
Lithuanian kiauliauogė
  • kiauliauogėplant of genus Solanum
Malay terung
  • terungplant of genus Solanum
Māori poro, raupeti
  • poroplant of genus Solanum
  • raupetiplant of genus Solanum
  • remuroaplant of genus Solanum
Polish psianka
  • psiankaplant of genus Solanum
Russian паслён
  • паслён (pasljón)plant of genus Solanum
Spanish solanácea
  • solanáceaplant of genus Solanum
Swedish nattskatta, potatisväxt
  • nattskattaplant of genus Solanum
  • potatisväxtplant of genus Solanum
Ukrainian паслі́н, пасльо́н
  • паслі́н (paslín)plant of genus Solanum
  • пасльо́н (paslʹón)plant of genus Solanum
Vietnamese cà
  • càplant of genus Solanum
Cite this entry
APA

nightshade. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nightshade

MLA

“nightshade.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nightshade. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nightshade,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nightshade.

Source: nightshade on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.