any of various solanaceous plants, such as deadly nightshade, woody nightshade, and black nightshade
2. enchanter's nightshade
Word origin
Old English nihtscada, apparently night + shade, referring to the poisonous or soporific qualities of these plants
nightshade in American English
(ˈnaɪtˌʃeɪd)
noun
1.
any of a large genus (Solanum) of chiefly tropical plants of the nightshade family, with five-lobed leaves and flowers of variouscolors, including the black nightshade
2.
belladonna (sense 1)
3.
henbane
adjective
4.
designating a large family (Solanaceae, order Solanales) of poisonous and nonpoisonous dicotyledonous plants chiefly of warm regions, generally having a round stem, rank smell, and watery sap, and including the tobaccos, red peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, petunias, and eggplant
Word origin
ME nichtheschode < OE nihtscada (see night & shade): ? with reference to narcotic qualities
Examples of 'nightshade' in a sentence
nightshade
Black nightshade is still in flower in waste places.