Standard Lemma guide

dogbane

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: D AO1 G B EY2 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any plant in the genus Apocynum, eponymous of the dogbane family Apocynaceae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Most dogbanes are poisonous tropical plants producing showy flowers and milky juice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

any of several poisonous perennial plants of the genus Apocynum having acrid milky juice and bell-shaped white or pink flowers and a very bitter root

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: poisonous plant

Narrower terms: common dogbane, spreading dogbane, rheumatism weed, Apocynum androsaemifolium, Indian hemp, Apocynum cannabinum, Rocky Mountain dogbane, Apocynum pumilum

History

Etymology

From dog + bane, as it was said to be poisonous to dogs.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тойна (tojna) — Apocynum
  • Finnish: oleanterikasvi — Apocynum
  • French: apocyn — Apocynum
  • German: Hundsgift — Apocynum
  • Ancient Greek: ἀπόκυνον (apókunon) — Apocynum
  • Persian: شاهدانه هندی (šâhdâne-ye hendi) — Apocynum
  • Polish: toina — Apocynum