dogbane

noun

dog·​bane ˈdȯg-ˌbān How to pronounce dogbane (audio)
: any of a genus (Apocynum of the family Apocynaceae, the dogbane family) of often poisonous plants chiefly of temperate-zone regions with milky juice and fibrous bark

Examples of dogbane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From bottom left to top right is a tinder bundle, made from the inner bark of a cottonwood tree and some red cedar bark, a stone thunderhead, a honeysuckle bow with a cord made from dogbane fibers, a goldenrod spindle and a white pine hearth board. Bradley Duncan, Discover Magazine, 25 Dec. 2023 Before European settlers arrived in the Americas, for instance, some Native American nations used stoneseed, dogbane and other herbs to prevent pregnancy, in addition to taking abortifacients (substances that induce abortions). Treva B. Lindsey, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 May 2022 An understory of spreading dogbane, yellow columbine, Richardson’s geranium, curly dock, wild roses and fragrant wild geranium grow profusely in damp slivers of space among roots, boulders and gigantic trees. Mare Czinar, azcentral, 18 July 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dogbane was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near dogbane

Cite this Entry

“Dogbane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogbane. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

dogbane

noun
dog·​bane ˈdȯg-ˌbān How to pronounce dogbane (audio)
: any plant of the genus Apocynum

More from Merriam-Webster on dogbane

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!