Nearby Words
noun
1.
a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health.
3.
Slang. any variety of alcoholic liquor: Name your poison!
verb (used with object)
4.
to administer poison to (a person or animal).
5.
to kill or injure with or as if with poison.
6.
to put poison into or upon; saturate with poison: to poison food.
7.
to ruin, vitiate, or corrupt: Hatred had poisoned his mind.
8.
Chemistry. to destroy or diminish the activity of (a catalyst or enzyme).
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Poisoned
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
adjective
9.
causing poisoning; poisonous: a poison shrub.
Origin:
1200–50; Middle English puisun < Old French < Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō) drink, potion, poisonous draught
1200–50; Middle English puisun < Old French < Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō) drink, potion, poisonous draught
Related forms
poi·son·er, noun
poi·son·less, adjective
poi·son·less·ness, noun
out·poi·son, verb (used with object)
self-poi·son·er, noun
EXPANDun·poi·soned, adjective
COLLAPSESynonyms
1. Poison, toxin, venom are terms for any substance that injures the health or destroys life when absorbed into the system, especially of a higher animal. Poison is the general word: a poison for insects. A toxin is a poison produced by an organism; it is especially used in medicine in reference to disease-causing bacterial secretions: A toxin produces diphtheria. Venom is especially used of the poisons secreted by certain animals, usually injected by bite or sting: the venom of a snake. 7. contaminate, pollute, taint.
1. Poison, toxin, venom are terms for any substance that injures the health or destroys life when absorbed into the system, especially of a higher animal. Poison is the general word: a poison for insects. A toxin is a poison produced by an organism; it is especially used in medicine in reference to disease-causing bacterial secretions: A toxin produces diphtheria. Venom is especially used of the poisons secreted by certain animals, usually injected by bite or sting: the venom of a snake. 7. contaminate, pollute, taint.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Poisoned
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
poison
early 13c., "a deadly potion," from O.Fr. puison (12c.) "a drink," later "a potion, poisonous drink" (14c.), from L. potionem (nom. potio) "a drink," also "poisonous drink," from potare "to drink" (see potion). The O.E. word was ator (see
EXPAND attercop) or lybb. Slang sense of "alcoholic drink" first attested 1805, Amer.Eng. The verb is c.1300, from the noun. Related: Poisoned; poisoning. Poison ivy first recorded 1784; poison oak is from 1743. Poison gas first recorded 1915. Poison-pen (letter) popularized 1913 by a notorious criminal case in Pennsylvania, U.S.; it may date back to 1908. In many Germanic languages "poison" is euphemistically named by a word equivalent to English gift (cf. O.H.G. gift, Dan., Swed. gift; Du. gift, vergift). This choice might have been aided by Gk. dosis "a portion prescribed," lit. "a giving," used by Galen and other Greek physicians to mean an amount of medicine (see dose).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
poison poi·son (poi'zən)
n.
A substance taken internally or applied externally that is injurious to health or dangerous to life.
A chemical substance that inhibits another substance or a reaction.
To kill or harm with poison.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang Dictionary
poison definition
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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