any of a genus of poisonous plants of the buttercup family bearing spikes of usu white, bluish, or purplish flowers, e.g. monkshood: genus Aconitum
the dried tuberous root of monkshood or a related plant that yields a drug formerly used to reduce fever
= winter aconite
aconitic /-ʹnitik/ adj
[French aconite via Latin from Greek akoniton]