belladonna

noun bel·la·don·na \ˌbe-lə-ˈdä-nə\

: a poisonous plant that has reddish bell-shaped flowers

: a drug made from the belladonna plant

Full Definition of BELLADONNA

: an Old World poisonous plant (Atropa belladonna) of the nightshade family having purple or green bell-shaped flowers, glossy black berries, and root and leaves that yield atropine —called also deadly nightshade

: a medicinal extract (as atropine) from the belladonna plant

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Origin of BELLADONNA

Italian, literally, beautiful lady

First Known Use: 1597

Rhymes with BELLADONNA

French Guiana, Haryana, Hinayana, hiragana, ikebana, Ludhiana, Mahayana, marijuana, parmigiana, pozzolana, prima donna, Rajputana, Rosh Hashanah

Medical Dictionary

belladonna

noun bel·la·don·na \ˌbel-ə-ˈdän-ə\

Medical Definition of BELLADONNA

: an Old World poisonous plant of the genus Atropa (A. belladonna) having purple or green flowers, glossy black berries, and a root and leaves that yield atropine—called also deadly nightshade

: a medicinal preparation (as atropine) extracted from the belladonna plant and containing anticholinergic alkaloids