Hellebore Definition
hĕlə-bôr
noun
Any of a genus (Helleborus) of poisonous, winter-blooming plants of the buttercup family, with buttercuplike flowers of various colors: the rhizomes of a black European species (H. niger) were formerly used as a heart stimulant and cathartic.
Webster's New World
Any of a genus (Veratrum) of poisonous plants of the lily family: the white hellebore (V. album) and the false hellebore (V. viride) were formerly used as cathartics, etc.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Hellebore
Noun
Singular:
hellebore
Plural:
helleboresOrigin of Hellebore
-
Middle English ellebore, from Old French ellebre, elebore, from Medieval Latin eleborus, via Latin from Ancient Greek ἑλλέβορος (helleboros). Initial h was restored in English to reflect the Ancient Greek etymology.
From Wiktionary
Middle English ellebre from Old French from Latin elleborus from Greek helleboros perhaps hellos fawn -boros eaten (from bibrōskein to eat)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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