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deleterious

 - 5 dictionary results

del⋅e⋅te⋅ri⋅ous

[del-i-teer-ee-uhs]
–adjective
1. injurious to health: deleterious gases.
2. harmful; injurious: deleterious influences.

Origin:
1635–45; < Gk dēlētrios destructive, adj. deriv. of dēlētr destroyer, equiv. to dēlē- var. s. of dēleîsthai to hurt, injure + -tēr agent suffix + -ios adj. suffix; see -ious


del⋅e⋅te⋅ri⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
del⋅e⋅te⋅ri⋅ous⋅ness, noun


2. pernicious, hurtful, destructive; noxious.


2. beneficial.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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del·e·te·ri·ous   (děl'ĭ-tîr'ē-əs)   
adj.  Having a harmful effect; injurious: the deleterious effects of smoking.

[From Greek dēlētērios, from dēlētēr, destroyer, from dēleisthai, to harm.]
del'e·te'ri·ous·ly adv., del'e·te'ri·ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

deleterious 
1643, from Gk. deleterios, from deleter "destroyer," from deleisthai "to hurt, injure."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: del·e·te·ri·ous
Pronunciation: "del-&-'tir-E-&s
Function: adjective
: harmful often in a subtle or anunexpected way deleterious effects —The Sciences> <deleterious genes>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

deleterious del·e·te·ri·ous (děl'ĭ-tēr'ē-əs)
adj.
Having a harmful effect; injurious.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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