baneberry

noun

bane·​ber·​ry ˈbān-ˌber-ē How to pronounce baneberry (audio)
: any of several perennial herbs (genus Actaea) of the buttercup family having acrid poisonous berries
also : one of the berries

Word History

Etymology

bane entry 1 + berry entry 1

First Known Use

1755, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of baneberry was in 1755

Rhymes for baneberry

See All Rhymes for baneberry

Browse Nearby Words

bane
baneberry
baneful
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Baneberry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baneberry. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

baneberry

noun
bane·​ber·​ry
ˈbān-ˌber-ē, British often & US sometimes -b(ə-)rē
plural baneberries
1
: the acid poisonous berry of any plant of the genus Actaea
2
: a plant of the genus Actaea

More from Merriam-Webster on baneberry

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about baneberry

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of corrode

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples

More Commonly Mispronounced Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 3
See More

Popular

See More

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
tiny woman sitting on a pile of books reading
Little Words, Big Vocabulary Quiz Time to sweat the small stuff.
See All