nightshade--prophetes.ai

nightshade¹
  (ˈnaɪtʃeɪd)
  Forms: 1 nihtscada, 5 nyȝtschode, nichtheshod(e, niȝteschede, 6 nyghte-, nighteshad(e, 6– nightshade.
  [OE. nihtscada = MDu. nachtscade, etc. (Du. nachtschade) and nachtscadu(w)e (Du. -schaduwe), MLG. nachtschade, -schede, -scheide (hence MSw. natskada, -skȧda, -skeda, Da. natskade), OHG. nahtscato, -schato (MHG. -schate, G. -schatte, -schatten; ? hence Sw. nattskatta, -skattegrȧs), app. f. night n. + shade n., perh. with allusion to the poisonous or narcotic properties of the berries. The variation of the second element in ME. and MLG. is prob. due to independent popular corruption.]
  1. a. A plant of the genus Solanum, esp. S. nigrum (Black Nightshade), a herbaceous plant with ovate bluntly-toothed leaves, white flowers, and black poisonous berries, or S. Dulcamara (Woody Nightshade) with cordate or hastate leaves, purple flowers, and bright red berries. b. A plant of the genus Atropa, Deadly Nightshade or belladonna.

c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 135/3 Strumus, uel uua lupina, nihtscada. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 55 Put to þis medycine þe jus of sum colde erbe: as morel, nyȝt⁓schode, penywort. c 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.) 119 Morella.., anglice nichtheschode [v.r. niȝteschede] vel houndesberie. [Also 176 Solatrum mortale]. 1548 Turner Names Herbs (E.D.S.) 75 Solanum hortense which..is called in Englishe Nyghtshade. 1562 ― Herbal ii. (1568) 141 Nighte shad or Petemorell..is a bushy herbe, whyche is vsed to be eaten. 1578 Lyte Dodoens 443 Nightshade hath rounde stalkes of a foote long, full of branches. 1657 S. Purchas Pol. Flying-Ins. 93 Those that are soporiferous, and Narcotick as..Night-shade. 1688 Holme Armoury ii. 96/2 Night-shade..in most places..is called Gold-Knape, or yellow Crace, for the golden colour fruit. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 138 Some will have them to grow on a kind of Night-shade. 1784 Cowper Task iv. 757 Some sprigs of mournful mint, Of nightshade, or valerian. 1810 Crabbe Borough xviii, Here the dull nightshade hangs her deadly fruit. 1846 Lindley Veget. Kingd. 619 The most immediate affinity of Nightshades seem to be with Oliveworts and Bindweeds. 1872 Macmillan True Vine vii. 295 The purple and yellow blossom of the nightshade is constructed exactly like the flower of the cyclamen.

attrib. 1821 Shelley Epipsych. 257 One, whose voice was venomed melody, Sate by a well, under blue nightshade bowers.

fig. a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. i. 7 That venemous solanum, that deadly nightshade, that drives its cold poison into the understandings of men. 1850 O. Winslow Inner Life i. 15 Satan has ever sought to engraft the deadly nightshade of error upon the life-giving Rose of Sharon.

2. Used with specific names to denote species of Solanum, Atropa, or plants of other genera.
African, American, bastard nightshade (see quots.). † bindweed n. = enchanter's n. black n. (see 1 a). climbing n. (see quot.). common n. = black n. deadly n. (see deadly a. 4 c). enchanter's n. (see enchanter 2). garden n. = black n. † mad n. (see quot. 1578). Malabar n. = climbing n. † red n., Alkekengi. sleeping or sleepy n. = deadly n. stinking n., henbane. three-leaved n., a N. American plant (Trillium) having simple stems with three leaves at the top. † tree-n. (see quot.). woody n. (see 1 a).

1839 Ure Dict. Arts 150 The berries of the *African night⁓shade (solanum guineense) have been of late years considerably applied to silk.

1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 320 Nightshade, *American, Phytolacca. Ibid., Nightshade, American, Rivinia.

Ibid., Nightshade, *Bastard, Rivinia.

1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. lix. 280 It is called in Latine..Circea lutetiana; in English Inchaunters Nightshade, or *Bindweede Nightshade.

1846–50 A. Wood Class-bk. Bot. 448 Solanum Nigrum, *Black Nightshade.

1753 Chambers Cycl. Suppl. App. s.v., *Climbing Nightshade, a name sometimes used for the Basella or Cuscuta of botanists.

1578 Lyte Dodoens 447 This solanum cooleth..more strongly than the *Common Nightshade. 1707 Mortimer Husb. (1721) II. 231 Flowers like that of the common Nightshade.

1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. li. 268 In English it [Solanum hortense] is called *Garden Nightshade; Morell, and petie Morell.

1578 Lyte Dodoens 447 The other is called Solanum Manicum, that is to say *Mad or Raging Night⁓shade. 1600 Surflet Countrie Farme ii. xliv. 290 Diuers plants which haue the same vertue, as mad nightshade.

1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 320 Nightshade, *Malabar, Basella.

1578 Lyte Dodoens 444 Of *Red Nightshade, winter Cherie and Alkakengy. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. li. 271 The red winter Cherrie is called..in Latine..Solanum Vesicarium:..in English red Nightshade.

1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. June (1729) 208 *Shrub Night-shade. 1707 Mortimer Husb. (1721) II. 231 Shrub Nightshade has a woody Stock and Branches, dark sad green Leaves.

1578 Lyte Dodoens 447 One is called..*Sleeping Nightshade. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. li. 269 Dwale or sleeping Nightshade hath round blackish stalks sixe foote high.

1611 Cotgr., Morelle somnifique, *Sleepie Nightshade. 1688 Holme Armoury ii. 75/2 The sleepy Night-shade hath a Sage-like leaf, with a purple Bell-flower. 1796 Withering Brit. Plants (ed. 3) II. 252 Deadly, or sleepy Nightshade.

1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 320 Nightshade, *Three-leaved, Trillium.

1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. lxiv. 289 This rare and pleasaunt plant [Solanum arborescens] called *tree Night⁓shade is taken of some to be a kinde of Ginnie pepper, but not rightly.

1796 Withering Brit. Plants (ed. 3) II. 253 Bitter-sweet. *Woody Nightshade. 1849 Balfour Man. Bot. §961 Solanum Dulcamara, Bitter-sweet or woody Nightshade, has slightly narcotic properties.