hemlock
hemlock Lexical Profile
hemlock Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A highly poisonous biennial herbaceous plant (Conium maculatum) of the parsley family, native to Europe and North Africa, characterized by finely divided leaves and purple-spotted stems, or the lethal poison derived from it.
"The philosopher Socrates was sentenced to death by the Athenian court and forced to drink a cup of hemlock."
An evergreen coniferous tree of the genus Tsuga in the pine family, native to North America and eastern Asia, characterized by its drooping branches and short, flat needles.
"We hiked through a dense, shady forest of eastern hemlock and white pine."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'hemlock' can cause confusion as it refers to two entirely unrelated plants: a highly toxic herbaceous weed (Conium maculatum) famous for killing Socrates, and a completely harmless evergreen coniferous tree (genus Tsuga) native to North America and Asia.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'hymlic' or 'hemlīc', a word of uncertain origin. The second element is likely related to 'lēac', an old word for 'leek' or 'plant'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.