hellebore
hellebore Lexical Profile
hellebore Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any poisonous, late-winter or spring-flowering plant of the Eurasian genus Helleborus in the buttercup family, typically featuring large, deeply divided leaves and showy, cup-shaped flowers.
"The gardener planted hellebores in the shaded woodland border, knowing their resilient blooms would appear even through the late winter snow."
A highly toxic, alkaloid-containing plant of the genus Veratrum (often called false hellebore), native to temperate and subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia.
"Ingestion of false hellebore by grazing livestock can lead to fatal poisoning or severe congenital defects in their offspring."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'ellebore', via Old French and Latin from the Ancient Greek 'helléboros', which is historically thought to be derived from 'helein' (to injure) and 'bora' (food), referencing the plant's toxicity.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.