noun
hemlock
A poisonous flowering plant with clusters of small white blossoms.
The hemlock beside the path has clusters of small white flowers.
Etymology
The Old English word already names the poisonous plant. Its deeper elements are uncertain, so a literal explanation from the modern-looking parts should not be assumed.
More examples
- Never eat hemlock, even if it looks like wild parsley.
- She notices purple blotches on the hemlock's hollow stem.
- The condemned prisoner drank hemlock.
Forms
hemlock · hemlocks
Similar words
- poison hemlock
- Specifies the poisonous flowering plant, avoiding confusion with conifers.