nightshade family,: Meaning and Definition of

night'shade fam"ily

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the plant family Solanaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, trees, shrubs, and vines having alternate, simple or pinnate leaves, conspicuous flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or capsule, and including belladonna, eggplant, nightshade, peppers of the genus Capsicum, petunia, potato, tobacco, and tomato.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.