n. 1. Any of various usually poisonous perennial herbs of the genus Aconitum in the buttercup family, having tuberous roots, palmately lobed leaves, and blue, purple, or white flowers with a large hoodlike upper sepal. 2. The dried leaves and roots of some of these plants, which yield a poisonous alkaloid that was formerly used medicinally. In both senses also called monkshood, wolfsbane. [French aconit, from Latin aconītum, from Greek akonīton, perhaps from neuter sing. of akonītos, without dust or struggle : a-, without; see A-1 + konis, dust.] |
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