henbane
/ˈhɛnbeɪn/
"henbane" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“henbane” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A poisonous plant, Hyoscyamus niger, used sometimes as a drug that causes at least hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlessness, and flushed skin.
Corpus desk
Index EN-henbane · henbane · English
henbane · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "H" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | henbane |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhɛnbeɪn/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “henbane” in English
Rare enough to double-check
henbane is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɛnbeɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
henbane doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English henbane, hennebane ( > French hanebane), equivalent to hen + bane. Cognate with Danish hønsebane, Swedish hönsbane. Compare also Old English hennebelle (“henbane”, literally “hen-bell”). The correct English form is henbane, spelled H-E-N-B-A-N-E.
Definition
- 1A poisonous plant, Hyoscyamus niger, used sometimes as a drug that causes at least hallucinations, dilated pupils, restlessness, and flushed skin.
- 2Any other plant of the genus Hyoscyamus.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how henbane appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Deadly nightshade, henbane, hellebore and mandrakes were of evil reputation[.]
Henbane acts as an anaphrodisiac.
Etymology
From Middle English henbane, hennebane ( > French hanebane), equivalent to hen + bane. Cognate with Danish hønsebane, Swedish hönsbane. Compare also Old English hennebelle (“henbane”, literally “hen-bell”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.