Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- any of various plants of the genus Solanum, especially the black nightshade or the bittersweet.
- any of various other related plants, as the deadly nightshade.
noun
- any of various solanaceous plants, such as deadly nightshade, woody nightshade, and black nightshade
- See enchanter’s nightshade
Old English nihtscada, literally “shade of night,” perhaps in allusion to the poisonous berries. A common Germanic compound, cf. Dutch nachtschade, German Nachtschatten.