noun
- a poisonous plant, Conium maculatum, of the parsley family, having purple-spotted stems, finely divided leaves, and umbels of small white flowers, used medicinally as a powerful sedative.
- a poisonous drink made from this plant.
- any of various other plants, especially of the genus Cicuta, as the water hemlock.
- Also called hemlock spruce. any of several coniferous trees of the genus Tsuga, native to the U.S., characterized by a pyramidal manner of growth.Compare eastern hemlock, western hemlock.
- the soft, light wood of a hemlock tree, used in making paper, in the construction of buildings, etc.
noun
- an umbelliferous poisonous Eurasian plant, Conium maculatum, having finely divided leaves, spotted stems, and small white flowersUS name: poison hemlock See also water hemlock
- a poisonous drug derived from this plant
- Also called: hemlock spruce any coniferous tree of the genus Tsuga, of North America and E Asia, having short flat needles: family PinaceaeSee also western hemlock
- the wood of any of these trees, used for lumber and as a source of wood pulp
a poisonous plant, Old English (Kentish) hemlic, earlier hymlice, hymblice; of unknown origin. Liberman suggests from root hem- “poison,” perhaps with the plant name suffix -ling or -ig. As the name of the poison derived from the plant, c.1600. The North American tree so called from 1776, from resemblance of its leaves to those of the plant.