noun
genus of mostly North American poisonous plants; sometimes placed in family Melanthiaceae
• Syn: ↑genus Zigadenus
• Hypernyms: ↑liliid monocot genus
• Member Holonyms: ↑Liliaceae, ↑family Liliaceae, ↑lily family
• Member Meronyms:
↑death camas, ↑zigadene, ↑alkali grass, ↑Zigadenus elegans, ↑white camas, ↑Zigadenus glaucus, ↑poison camas, ↑Zigadenus nuttalli, ↑grassy death camas, ↑Zigadenus venenosus, ↑Zigadenus venenosus gramineus
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\\ˌzigəˈdēnəs\ nounUsage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, alteration of Zygadenus, from Greek zygadēn jointly, in pairs, from zygon yoke, pair — more at yoke
: a genus of herbs (family Liliaceae) of No. America and Asia having basal linear leaves and a terminal panicle of whitish or greenish flowers with a flat spreading perianth — see death camas
Useful english dictionary. 2012.