bane meaning of
The noun bane refers to anything that is a cause of harm, ruin, or death. But we often use it for things that aren't that bad, just feel like it. You might say mosquitoes are the bane of your existence. The source of this word is Middle and Old English bana, meaning destroyer, murderer.. The now obsolete meaning of deadly poison is seen in the names of poisonous plants such as wolfsbane and henbane.