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toxic

[tok-sik]
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adjective
  1. of, pertaining to, affected with, or caused by a toxin or poison: a toxic condition.
  2. acting as or having the effect of a poison; poisonous: a toxic drug.
  3. causing unpleasant feelings; harmful or malicious: a toxic boyfriend; toxic criticism.
  4. pertaining to or noting debt that will probably not be repaid: toxic mortgages.
  5. pertaining to or noting a financial instrument or other asset that has no value or an unknown value because there is no market for it: toxic mortgage-backed securities.
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noun
  1. a toxic chemical or other substance.
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Origin of toxic

1655–65; < Late Latin toxicus poisonous, adj. derivative of Latin toxicum poison < Greek toxikón (orig. short for toxikòn phármakon literally, bow poison, i.e., poison used on arrows), equivalent to tóx(on) bow + -ikon, neuter of -ikos -ic
Related formstox·i·cal·ly, adverbhy·per·tox·ic, adjectivenon·tox·ic, adjectivenon·tox·i·cal·ly, adverbpost·tox·ic, adjectiveun·tox·ic, adjectiveun·tox·i·cal·ly, adverb
Can be confusedtoxic toxin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for non-toxic

Historical Examples

  • The double salt is non-toxic, though sometimes in exceedingly weak patients it produces vertigo.

    The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines

    T. H. Pardo de Tavera

  • Third, lytic agents in the blood serum may play the chief rle in the liberation of the toxic agent from its non-toxic combination.

    Handbook of Medical Entomology

    William Albert Riley

British Dictionary definitions for non-toxic

toxic

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or caused by a toxin or poison; poisonous
  2. harmful or deadly
  3. (of a financial asset) likely to cause significant loss to the holder
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Derived Formstoxically, adverb

Word Origin

C17: from medical Latin toxicus, from Latin toxicum poison, from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) (poison) used on arrows, from toxon arrow
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for non-toxic

adj.

also nontoxic, 1892, from non- + toxic.

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toxic

adj.

1660s, from French toxique, from Late Latin toxicus "poisoned," from Latin toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) "(poison) for use on arrows," from toxikon, neuter of toxikos "pertaining to arrows or archery," and thus to a bow, from toxon "bow," probably from a Scythian word that also was borrowed into Latin as taxus "yew."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
non-toxic in Medicine

toxic

(tŏk′sĭk)
adj.
  1. Of, relating to, or caused by a toxin or other poison.
  2. Capable of causing injury or death, especially by chemical means; poisonous.
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n.
  1. A toxic chemical or other substance.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
non-toxic in Science

toxic

[tŏk′sĭk]
  1. Relating to or caused by a toxin.
  2. Capable of causing injury or death, especially by chemical means; poisonous.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.