Plural of hemlock; tall evergreen trees of the pine family, or a poisonous plant that causes numbness and paralysis.
From Old English 'hymlice', possibly combining 'hem' (a plant term) with 'lock' (a tuft or cluster); the poisonous plant sense comes from the same word for the tree, as both share hemlock's dark reputation.
Hemlocks are one of nature's deadliest plants—Socrates died by drinking hemlock poison in 399 BC, yet today it's celebrated as an important forest tree that provides habitat and food for wildlife!
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