blood poisoning

American

noun

Pathology.

invasion of the blood by toxic matter or microorganisms, characterized by chills, sweating, fever, and prostration; toxemia; septicemia; pyemia.

blood poisoning British

noun

a nontechnical term for septicaemia

"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

blood poisoning Scientific

See toxemia

Etymology

Origin of blood poisoning

First recorded in 1860–65

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.

See Examples For:

blood poisoning

Before the development of penicillin, blood poisoning could follow even minor wounds with no cure available.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2025

The E. coli bacterium, which is found in faeces, can cause a range of conditions, including urinary tract infections, cystitis, intestinal infections and vomiting, with the worst cases leading to life-threatening blood poisoning.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2024

The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens worldwide, which can cause severe bloodstream infections -- also called sepsis or blood poisoning.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 2024

She died later that night, Francois said, likely from sepsis, or blood poisoning by bacteria.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

“You’ve got to keep them clean, otherwise the infection could spread and—” “I know what blood poisoning is, Katniss,” says Peeta.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023