bugbane

noun

bug·​bane ˈbəg-ˌbān How to pronounce bugbane (audio)
: any of several perennial herbs (genus Cimicifuga) of the buttercup family native to northern temperate woodlands
especially : black cohosh sense 1

Note: Bugbanes are sometimes classified in a closely related genus (Actaea).

Examples of bugbane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Their names were homespun: sweet pepperbush, oak leaf hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire, New Jersey tea, even bugbane. Perdita Buchan, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bugbane was in 1723

Dictionary Entries Near bugbane

Cite this Entry

“Bugbane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bugbane. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

bugbane

noun
bug·​bane ˈbəg-ˌbān How to pronounce bugbane (audio)
: a plant of the genus Cimicifuga
especially : black cohosh

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