
bane ( P ) Pronunciation Key (bn)
n.
Fatal injury or ruin: “Hath some fond lover tic'd thee to thy bane?†(George Herbert).
A cause of harm, ruin, or death: “Obedience,/Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth,/Makes slaves of men†(Percy Bysshe Shelley).
A source of persistent annoyance or exasperation: “The spellings of foreign names are often the bane of busy copy editors†(Norm Goldstein).
A deadly poison.