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belladonna definition

bella·donna (bel′ə dän′ə)

noun

  1. a poisonous European plant (Atropa belladonna) of the nightshade family, with purplish or reddish bell-shaped flowers and shiny black berries; deadly nightshade: it is a source of atropine
  2. atropine

Etymology: ModL < It bella donna, lit., beautiful lady: a folk etym. (infl. by cosmetic use for dilating the eye) for ML bladona, nightshade, prob. < Gaul

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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