hemlock
Hemlock (noun) means a highly poisonous flowering plant, or the deadly poison extracted from it. Example: “In ancient Athens, condemned prisoners were sometimes executed by drinking hemlock.”
How to use hemlock
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsually means the deadly poisonous plant famous for killing Socrates; can also mean an unrelated evergreen tree.
The hemlock tree is not poisonous — only the herbaceous hemlock plant (and its relative, water hemlock) is deadly.
Word forms
hemlocks plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
In ancient Athens, condemned prisoners were sometimes executed by drinking _____.
Etymology
From Old English hemlic or hymlice, of uncertain deeper origin — the poisonous plant and the unrelated hemlock tree just happen to share the same English name.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “hemlock” mean?
The word “hemlock” means a highly poisonous flowering plant, or the deadly poison extracted from it. In plain terms, usually means the deadly poisonous plant famous for killing Socrates; can also mean an unrelated evergreen tree.
How do you pronounce “hemlock”?
“Hemlock” is pronounced HEHM-lok (/ˈhɛmˌlɒk/ in IPA).
How do you use “hemlock” in a sentence?
Here is “hemlock” used in a sentence: “In ancient Athens, condemned prisoners were sometimes executed by drinking hemlock.”
What is another word for “hemlock”?
Words with a similar meaning to “hemlock” include devil's bread, devil's porridge, herb bennet, poison parsley, poison hemlock and Conium maculatum.
What part of speech is “hemlock”?
“Hemlock” is a noun.
Where does the word “hemlock” come from?
The word “hemlock” comes from Old English. From Old English hemlic or hymlice, of uncertain deeper origin — the poisonous plant and the unrelated hemlock tree just happen to share the same English name.
How many meanings does “hemlock” have?
“Hemlock” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a highly poisonous flowering plant, or the deadly poison extracted from it.