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poison hemlock
noun
: a large European biennial poisonous herb (Conium maculatum) of the carrot family that is naturalized in the U.S. and has finely divided leaves and small white flowers compare water hemlock
Examples of poison hemlock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Related Articles Different kinds of toxic plants cause gastrointestinal distress, like azaleas and rhododendrons, and some are deadly, such as poison hemlock, aconite/monkshood, castor bean seeds and Nicotiana glauca.
—Sara Okeefe, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024
The thick layer of mulch blocks sunlight from reaching seeds of invasive weeds such as Italian thistle, poison hemlock and Cape ivy that would otherwise quickly take over.
—Alix Soliman, Hartford Courant, 3 Jan. 2024
Other plants that look similar include poison hemlock (which is toxic if ingested) as well as wild parsnip, cow parsnip, and Queen Anne’s lace, all of which can cause skin reactions—although typically not nearly as severe as those caused by giant hogweed.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 24 Aug. 2023
Kizer’s symptoms are a reaction to the toxins found in poison hemlock, which grows up to 10 feet tall and resembles an innocuous white wildflower.
—Noor Adatia, Dallas News, 3 June 2023
First brought here as an ornamental in the 1800s, poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is dangerous because even a small amount, if ingested, can be deadly.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 24 July 2023
On Sunday, Kenzie Kizer of Lancaster wrote on Facebook about her incident handling a plant that doctors later identified as poison hemlock.
—Noor Adatia, Dallas News, 3 June 2023
Poison Hemlock Just like giant hogweed, poison hemlock has clusters of white flowers and the stems have purple splotches, according to an article by the healthcare blog Heathline.
—Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2023
What is poison hemlock?
—Mary Ramsey, The Courier-Journal, 12 Aug. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poison hemlock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1757, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near poison hemlock
Cite this Entry
“Poison hemlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison%20hemlock. Accessed 13 Jun. 2024.
Medical Definition
poison hemlock
noun1
: a large European poisonous herb of the genus Conium (C. maculatum) that is naturalized in the U.S. and has finely divided leaves and white flowers
2
More from Merriam-Webster on poison hemlock
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poison hemlock
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