detoxify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to rid of poison or the effect of poison.
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to treat (a person addicted to alcohol or drugs) in a detox program.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to remove poison from; detoxicate
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to treat (a person) for alcoholism or drug addiction
Other Word Forms
- detoxification noun
Etymology
Origin of detoxify
First recorded in 1900–05; detoxi(cate) + -fy
Vocabulary lists containing detoxify
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The palaeontologists hypothesise that charcoal was ingested to detoxify stomach contents, as ferns can be toxic to herbivores.
From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2024
More perks: real plants can help detoxify the air inside.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2023
A recent Times investigation noted that many Eastside homes and gardens are still polluted despite a massive effort to detoxify the area.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2023
Once the nematode’s body absorbs it, the worm modifies it with enzymes, called cytochrome P450s, which in many organisms detoxify foreign molecules.
From Science Magazine • May 25, 2023
How flies and other insects detoxify the organic phosphorus chemicals is less clearly understood.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
