hemlock

English

Conium maculatum, one of the umbellifers called hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla, one of the conifers called hemlock

Etymology

From Middle English hemlok, hemeluc, from Old English hymlīc, hymlīce (hemlock, bryony,convulvus, literally hops-like), from hymele (hop-vine), from Proto-Germanic *humalaz, *humalōn, of unknown origin. Perhaps from Scythian *haumala, a diminutive of *hauma (ephedra; juice), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma from Proto-Indo-European *seue- (to suck; juice).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛmˌlɒk/
  • (file)
  • (file)

Noun

hemlock (countable and uncountable, plural hemlocks)

  1. Any of the poisonous umbelliferous plants, of the genera
    1. Conium, either Conium maculatum or Conium chaerophylloides.
    2. Cicuta, water hemlock plant.
  2. The poison obtained from these Conium and Cicuta plants.
  3. Any of several coniferous trees, of the genus Tsuga, that grow in North America; the wood of such trees.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.