Poisonberry (Noun)
Meaning
Eurasian herb naturalized in America having white flowers and poisonous hairy foliage and bearing black berries that are sometimes poisonous but sometimes edible.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The botanist carefully made her way through the woods, keeping an eye out for the telltale poisonous leaves of the poisonberry plant.
- After eating a handful of what he thought were wild blueberries, John experienced severe stomach cramps and later learned he had accidentally ingested the berries of a poisonberry bush.
- Poisonberry thrives in shaded, moist areas, where it can spread its poisonous roots and prevent other plants from growing.
- According to the old legend, only a skilled shaman could differentiate between the poisonous berries of the poisonberry plant and its edible cousins.
- To identify a poisonberry plant, look for the clusters of black berries surrounded by its characteristic white flowers and fuzzy, toxic foliage.