n.
Pronunciation: ' he-l ə - ˌ bo ̇ r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English elebre, from Anglo-French, from Latin elleborus, helleborus, from Greek helleboros
Date: 15th century
1 : any of a genus ( Helleborus ) of poisonous Eurasian herbs of the buttercup family having showy flowers with petaloid sepals also : the dried rhizome of a hellebore (as H. niger ) formerly used in medicine
2 : a poisonous herb (genus Veratrum ) of the lily family also : the dried rhizome of a hellebore ( V. album or V. viride ) that is used as an insecticide and contains toxic alkaloids that are cardiac and respiratory depressants