A type of grass weed that grows among grain crops and produces seeds that can be toxic if eaten.
From Middle English 'darnel,' borrowed from Old French 'darnelle.' The exact origin is unclear, but it may derive from Germanic roots. The word has referred to this specific weed since medieval times, particularly notable in agricultural contexts where it was considered a pest.
Darnel is mentioned in the Bible as a weed mixed with wheat, and medieval farmers had to laboriously separate it from grain crops—it was such a common problem that it became a metaphor for evil or corruption in religious texts!
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