hellebore

2 definitions found

hellebore - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Hellebore \Hel"le*bore\, n. [L. helleborus, elleborus, Gr. ?, ?;
     cf. F. hell['e]bore, ell['e]bore.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial herbs (Helleborus) of the
        Crowfoot family, mostly having powerfully cathartic and
        even poisonous qualities. Helleborus niger is the
        European black hellebore, or Christmas rose, blossoming in
        winter or earliest spring. Helleborus officinalis was
        the officinal hellebore of the ancients.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Bot.) Any plant of several species of the poisonous
        liliaceous genus Veratrum, especially Veratrum album
        and Veratrum viride, both called white hellebore.
        [1913 Webster]

hellebore - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  hellebore
      n 1: perennial herbs of the lily family having thick toxic
           rhizomes [syn: hellebore, false hellebore]
      2: any plant of the Eurasian genus Helleborus