poison sumac

noun

a shrub or small tree, Rhus vernix (or Toxicodendron vernix), of swampy areas of the eastern U.S., having pinnate leaves and causing severe dermatitis when touched by persons sensitive to it.

Origin of poison sumac

First recorded in 1810–20

Also called poison dogwood.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

poison sumac in Medicine

poison sumac

n.

A swamp shrub of the southeast United States, having compound leaves and greenish-white berries and causing an itching rash on contact with the skin.