neurotoxin

[ noor-oh-tok-sin, nyoor-, noor-oh-tok-, nyoor- ]

noun

1. a neurotoxic substance, as rattlesnake venom or the poison of a black widow spider.

neurotoxin

/ ˌnjʊərəʊˈtɒksɪn /

noun

1. any of several natural substances that interfere with the electrical activities of nerves, thus preventing them from functioning

Derived Forms

• ˌneuroˈtoxic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of neurotoxin¹

First recorded in 1900–05; neuro- + toxin

Example Sentences

Massive doses of pesticides, including banned neurotoxins, and antibiotics are deployed against the parasites and pathogens.

From Time

His results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1979, transformed scientists’ view of lead as one of humanity’s most potent neurotoxins and helped win him a nomination for a Nobel prize.

From Quartz

Somfai highlighted this leap forward in efficiency using the neurotoxin strychnine.

From Science News

Alternatively, neurotoxins could once have been more common among rattlesnake species, only to be lost through evolution.

From Popular-Science

By then, people had been exposed not only to high amounts of lead, a neurotoxin that is especially damaging to children, but a series of bacterial outbreaks.

From ProPublica

Some difficulty in breathing can occur, especially if large amounts of neurotoxin are present in the venom.

From Project Gutenberg