toxin

American  

[tok-sin] / ˈtɒk sɪn /

noun

• toxins
  plural

1. any poison produced by an organism, characterized by antigenicity in certain animals and high molecular weight, and including the bacterial toxins that are the causative agents of tetanus, diphtheria, etc., and such plant and animal toxins as ricin and snake venom.

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toxin British  

/ ˈtɒksɪn /

noun

1. any of various poisonous substances produced by microorganisms that stimulate the production of neutralizing substances (antitoxins) in the body See also endotoxin exotoxin

2. any other poisonous substance of plant or animal origin

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toxin Scientific  

/ tŏk′sĭn /

1. A poisonous substance, especially one produced by a living organism. Toxins can be products or byproducts of ordinary metabolism, such as lactic acid, and they must be broken down or excreted before building up to dangerous levels. Toxins can facilitate survival, as with snake venom that kills or immobilizes prey, or cyanide produced by some plants as a defense against being eaten. Bacterial toxins can sometimes be neutralized with antitoxins.

2. Compare antitoxin

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Synonym Usage

See poison.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• toxins
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of toxin

First recorded in 1885–90; tox(ic) + -in ²

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Explanation

A toxin is an organic poison — it’s made by plants and animals. Toxins make people sick. If your appendix bursts, toxins are released into your blood stream. Also breathing in a toxin like ricin will make you very ill. Toxins are naturally occurring poisons. There are the toxins your body creates and some that animals and plants excrete. Some are harmful — getting stung by a stingray can kill you because its toxin is powerful. Toxin is the noun form of toxic. The most dangerous kind of toxin is the botulinus toxin, which is the kind found in the bacteria of spoiled food and is used to make Botox. Another dangerous toxin, ricin, is made from castor beans.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

toxin toxins

The researchers are now using the same general strategy to target other toxin families.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026

In Austria, by contrast, botulinum toxin and dermal filler treatments are classified as medical procedures and are typically reserved for doctors.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Infant botulism happens when swallowed spores from the bacterium infect a baby’s large intestine and make a toxin in it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

In January, Nestlé recalled some of its infant formula products after tests found they contained a toxin that can cause vomiting.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

I carefully slip the last vial of toxin inside, next to the rolled-up baseball card I found on the wall in the seed vault.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

As the barrier weakens, however, toxins and other products generated by gut microbes can travel to the liver.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

Many such toxins are organic molecules produced by organisms as chemical weapons against predators or competing organisms.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2026

The scientific research in those cases involved work around the mosquito-born chikungunya virus, a "highly-pathogenic" strain of the bird flu, a family of viruses that include smallpox and mpox, venoms and other toxins.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

In 2010 Congress passed a law that provided medical treatment, health monitoring and financial compensation to first-responders and others exposed to toxins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

She’s responsible for plagues, sickness, and catastrophes; she’s immune to fire, radiation, toxins, corrosives, disease, and aging.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

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Related Words

• contamination
• germ
• infection
• venom
• virus

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