belladonna
UK[ˌbeləˈdɒnə]US[ˌbeləˈdɑːnə]
n
a poisonous plant with purple flowers and black berries, also known as deadly nightshade.
n
a drug made from the belladonna plant, used in medicine.
Morpheme Breakdown
bella
donna
bella
beautiful
donna
lady
Etymology
the word 'belladonna' is a direct loan from italian, literally meaning 'beautiful lady'. this name originated from a historical cosmetic practice in renaissance italy, where women used drops of the plant's juice to dilate their pupils, which was considered a sign of beauty. the plant's association with beauty is deeply ironic, given its highly toxic and potentially fatal properties. thus, the term's journey reflects a direct cultural borrowing where the literal description of its use transformed into the standard botanical name for the plant atropa belladonna.
Analysis
Structure: bella (beautiful) + donna (lady)
bella is from italian, meaning 'beautiful' (feminine form). donna is from italian, meaning 'lady' or 'woman'. together, they form a compound noun.
Examples
the pharmacist warned that belladonna must be handled with extreme care due to its toxicity.
in homeopathy, highly diluted preparations of belladonna are sometimes used.
the old garden was overgrown with weeds, including patches of deadly belladonna.