poison

[ poi-zuhn ]

noun

1. a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health.
2. something harmful or pernicious, as to happiness or well-being:

   the poison of slander.

3. Slang. any variety of alcoholic liquor:

   Name your poison!

verb (used with object)

1. to administer poison to (a person or animal).
2. to kill or injure with or as if with poison.
3. to put poison into or upon; saturate with poison:

   to poison food.

4. to ruin, vitiate, or corrupt:

   Hatred had poisoned his mind.

   Synonyms: taint, pollute, contaminate

5. Chemistry. to destroy or diminish the activity of (a catalyst or enzyme).

adjective

1. causing poisoning; poisonous:

   a poison shrub.

poison

/ ˈpɔɪzən /

noun

1. any substance that can impair function, cause structural damage, or otherwise injure the body toxic
2. something that destroys, corrupts, etc

   the poison of fascism

3. a substance that retards a chemical reaction or destroys or inhibits the activity of a catalyst
4. a substance that absorbs neutrons in a nuclear reactor and thus slows down the reaction. It may be added deliberately or formed during fission
5. what's your poison? informal.
   what would you like to drink?

verb

1. to give poison to (a person or animal) esp with intent to kill
2. to add poison to
3. to taint or infect with or as if with poison
4. foll by against to turn (a person's mind) against

   he poisoned her mind against me

5. to retard or stop (a chemical or nuclear reaction) by the action of a poison
6. to inhibit or destroy (the activity of a catalyst) by the action of a poison

Derived Forms

• ˈpoisoner, noun

Other Words From

• 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
• un·poisoned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of poison¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English puisun, from Old French, from Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō ) “drink, potion, poisonous draught.” See potion.

Word History and Origins

Origin of poison¹

C13: from Old French puison potion, from Latin pōtiō a drink, esp a poisonous one, from pōtāre to drink

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with poison , also see one man's meat is another man's poison .

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Leapolitan responded by saying, “hopefully youll [sic] bite into a poison apple.”

From The Daily Beast

And some members of the Lizard Squad are now claiming that they were never trying to poison the network.

From The Daily Beast

Infernal, it can cause fires and explosions; toxic, it can debilitate, poison, and kill.

From The Daily Beast

Then came the horrors of World War I, with the advent of tanks and airplanes and poison gas.

From The Daily Beast

“Either you poison yourselves or you take this which shoots,” the boss says.

From The Daily Beast

The tobacco plant, as is well known, produces a virulent poison known as Nicotine.

From Project Gutenberg

They affirmed it was an antidote to all poison; that it expelled rheums, sour humours, and obstructions of all kinds.

From Project Gutenberg

He lived in a perpetual fear and danger of discovery; and discovery now was but another name, for poison—prison—death.

From Project Gutenberg

He carries a bamboo basket in which he has put a mixture containing a curious kind of poison.

From Project Gutenberg

Strange perhaps to say, the suggestion of the old dowager, like instilled poison, was making its way into her very veins.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• corrupt
• debase
• destroy
• harm
• infect
• injure
• kill
• stain
• subvert
• taint
• undermine