Dictionary
bel•la•don•na
Pronunciation: (bel"u-don'u), [key]—
n.
1. Also called
deadly nightshade. a poisonous plant,
Atropa belladonna, of the nightshade family, having purplish-red flowers and black berries.
2. Pharm.a drug from the leaves and root of this plant, containing atropine and related alkaloids: used in medicine to check secretions and spasms, to relieve pain or dizziness, and as a cardiac and respiratory stimulant.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.