NYT Dictionary

HEMLOCK

/ˈhɛmˌlɒk/
NounHEM-lockhem-lock · 2 syllablesGrade 7

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023

Meaning

Any of the poisonous umbelliferous plants, of the genera

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English hemlok, hemeluc, from Old English hemlīc, hymlīc m and hymlīce f (“hemlock, bryony, convolvulus”), of uncertain origin. speculative etymology Compare Old English hymele (“hop-vine, hops”), Old English humele (“bryony, widerton, hair moss, gold-hair, morning glory”), Danish and Swedish humle (“hops”), Icelandic humall (“hops”). Perhaps from Scythian, from Proto-Iranian *háwHmah (“ephedra; juice”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sáwHmas from Proto-Indo-European *sewh₁- (“to press out, extract”). ;cognates * (from Sarmato-Scythian *haumala) Ossetian хумӕллӕг (xumællæg, “hops”) * (from Sarmato-Scythian *hauma) Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬊𐬨𐬀 (haoma), Baluchi [script needed] (hum), Persian هوم (hôm)) * (from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma) Sanskrit सोम (soma)) More at suck.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

beaver poisoncowbanemusquash rootpoison parsnipspotted cowbanewater hemlockdevil's breaddevil's porridgeherb bennetpoison hemlock

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle, including a pangram:

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