hellebore

views updated May 18 2018

hel·le·bore / ˈheləˌbôr/ • n. a poisonous winter-flowering Eurasian plant (genus Helleborus) of the buttercup family, typically having coarse divided leaves and large white, green, or purplish flowers. ∎ another term for false hellebore.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

hellebore

views updated May 23 2018

hellebore Any of c.20 species of poisonous herbaceous plants of the genus Helleborus, native to Eurasia. Best known is the Christmas rose, H. niger, which bears white flowers from mid-winter to early spring. Family Ranunculaceae.

World Encyclopedia

hellebore

views updated May 23 2018

hellebore XIV (preceded by eleboryne XIII). ME. el(l)ebre, eleure — OF. ellebre, elebore or medL. eleborus, L. elleborus — Gr. (h)elléboros.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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