cowbane

[ kou-beyn ]
/ ˈkaʊˌbeɪn /

noun

any of several poisonous plants of the parsley family, as Oxypolis rigidior, of swampy areas of North America, or the water hemlock, Cicuta maculata.

Origin of cowbane

First recorded in 1770–80; cow1 + bane

Words nearby cowbane

cowansville, coward, cowardice, cowardly, cowash, cowbane, cowbell, cowberry, cowbind, cowbird, cowboy

Example sentences from the Web for cowbane

British Dictionary definitions for cowbane

cowbane
/ (ˈkaʊˌbeɪn) /

noun

Also called: water hemlock any of several N temperate poisonous umbelliferous marsh plants of the genus Cicuta, esp C. virosa, having clusters of small white flowers
a similar and related plant, Oxypolis rigidior of the southeastern and central US
any umbelliferous plant reputed to be poisonous to cattle