aconite

Noun

aconite (countable and uncountable, plural aconites)

1. The herb wolfsbane, or monkshood; any plant of the genus Aconitum, all the species of which are poisonous.
   • Witches always anointed themselves with ointments before departing up the chimney to their Sabbaths. One such ointment was composed of Aconite, Belladonna, Water Parsley, Cinquefoil and Babies' Fat.1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 112
   • Rampion grown in the cottage garden made the children of the house quarrelsome; breathing deeply into a handful of mint refreshed your senses, but aconite could cause your death.1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 254

   Synonyms:

   wolfsbane, monkshood

2. An extract or tincture obtained from Aconitum napellus, used as a poison and medicinally.