belladonna Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries; extensively grown in United States; roots and leaves yield atropine
deadly nightshade; belladonna plant; Atropa belladonna.
noun an alkaloidal extract or tincture of the poisonous belladonna plant that is used medicinally

It., literally fine lady; bella beautiful + donna lady.

(Bot.) (a) An herbaceous European plant (Atropa belladonna) with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining black berries. The whole plant and its fruit are very poisonous, and the root and leaves are used as powerful medicinal agents. Its properties are largely due to the alkaloid atropine which it contains. Called also deadly nightshade. (b) A species of Amaryllis (A. belladonna); the belladonna lily.