aconite
aconite Lexical Profile
• noun
Any of various poisonous herbaceous plants of the genus Aconitum in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), native to mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere and cultivated for their tall spikes of distinctive hooded blue, purple, yellow, or white blossoms; also applied to the winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), known for its bright yellow cup-shaped spring flowers.
"The shaded border of the cottage garden was planted with tall spikes of deep blue aconite."
A toxic extract or medicinal preparation derived from the dried roots and leaves of Aconitum napellus, historically used in small doses as a sedative, analgesic, or febrifuge, and notorious as a potent poison.
"In nineteenth-century pharmacopoeias, tincture of aconite was cautiously prescribed to reduce fever and alleviate neuralgic pain."
• Rhymes for aconite
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'aconit', from Latin 'aconitum', and ultimately from Ancient Greek 'akoniton', traditionally associated with the steep rocky crags ('akone') where the poisonous plant was believed to grow.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.