What does "henbane" mean?

A poisonous plant, Hyoscyamus niger, used sometimes as a drug that causes at least hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlessness, and flushed skin.

Henbane

Q: What is a synonym for "henbane"?

Common synonyms include: black henbane, stinking nightshade, belladonna, hallucinogen, hemlock, herb.

//ˈhɛnbeɪn// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A poisonous plant, Hyoscyamus niger, used sometimes as a drug that causes at least hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlessness, and flushed skin. countable, uncountable
"Deadly nightshade, henbane, hellebore and mandrakes were of evil reputation[.]"
2
poisonous fetid Old World herb having sticky hairy leaves and yellow-brown flowers; yields hyoscyamine and scopolamine wordnet
3
Any other plant of the genus Hyoscyamus. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms

black henbane stinking nightshade belladonna hallucinogen hemlock herb

Example

More examples

"Deadly nightshade, henbane, hellebore and mandrakes were of evil reputation[.]"

Etymology

From Middle English henbane, hennebane ( > French hanebane), equivalent to hen + bane. Cognate with Danish hønsebane, Swedish hönsbane. Compare also Old English hennebelle (“henbane”, literally “hen-bell”).

More for "henbane"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.