food poisoning

American  

noun

1. an acute gastrointestinal condition characterized by such symptoms as headache, fever, chills, abdominal and muscular pain, nausea, diarrhea, and prostration, caused by foods that are naturally toxic, as poisonous mushrooms, by vegetable foods that are chemically contaminated, as by insecticides, or by bacteria or their toxins, especially of the genus Salmonella.

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food poisoning British  

noun

1. an acute illness typically characterized by gastrointestinal inflammation, vomiting, and diarrhoea, caused by food that is either naturally poisonous or contaminated by pathogenic bacteria (esp Salmonella )

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food poisoning Scientific  

1. An acute gastrointestinal disorder characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, usually of the genus Salmonella or the genus Staphylococcus, which produces a toxin.

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food poisoning Cultural  

1. Illnesses that arise from eating food contaminated with pathogenic or toxic (see toxins) substances. Characterized by vomiting and diarrhea, food poisoning is often caused by bacteria, such as salmonella or staphylococci. (See botulism.)

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Etymology

Origin of food poisoning

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

I wasn't feeling great anyway because I think I'd got food poisoning.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Symptoms may resemble food poisoning or, in rare cases, a condition known as anisakiasis.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

His employee, Sawyer, had called in sick with food poisoning the night before.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Levito is loving the experience so much that she won’t even harp on the fact that she briefly battled food poisoning.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

He became ill, first with food poisoning, then with pleurisy.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• botulism
• salmonella