poisoning

[ poi-zuh-ning ]

/ ˈpɔɪ zə nɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR poisoning ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Pathology.

the condition produced by a poison or by a toxic substance.

Nearby words

poison sumac, poison sumach, poison-arrow frog, poison-pen, poison-pen letter, poisoning, poisonous, poisonwood, poisson, poisson distribution, poisson's ratio

Origin of poisoning

First recorded in 1400–50, poisoning is from the late Middle English word poisenynge. See poison, -ing¹

Definition for poisoning (2 of 2)

poison

[ poi-zuh n ]

/ ˈpɔɪ zən /

noun

a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health.

something harmful or pernicious, as to happiness or well-being: the poison of slander.

Slang. any variety of alcoholic liquor: Name your poison!

verb (used with object)

to administer poison to (a person or animal).

to kill or injure with or as if with poison.

to put poison into or upon; saturate with poison: to poison food.

to ruin, vitiate, or corrupt: Hatred had poisoned his mind.

Chemistry. to destroy or diminish the activity of (a catalyst or enzyme).

adjective

causing poisoning; poisonous: a poison shrub.

Origin of poison

1200–50; Middle English puisun < Old French < Latin pōtiōn- (stem of pōtiō) drink, potion, poisonous draught

SYNONYMS FOR poison

1 Poison, toxin, venom are terms for any substance that injures the health or destroys life when absorbed into the system, especially of a higher animal. Poison is the general word: a poison for insects. A toxin is a poison produced by an organism; it is especially used in medicine in reference to disease-causing bacterial secretions: A toxin produces diphtheria. Venom is especially used of the poisons secreted by certain animals, usually injected by bite or sting: the venom of a snake.

7 contaminate, pollute, taint.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR poison ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

poi·son·er, nounpoi·son·less, adjectivepoi·son·less·ness, nounout·poi·son, verb (used with object)

self-poi·son·er, nounun·poi·soned, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for poisoning

Lacey Spears is accused of killing her son by poisoning him with salt.
When Table Salt Becomes Poison|Russell Saunders|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He presumed to place me under restraint in his own house in hopes of either driving me insane or poisoning me.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Russian investigation has concluded there was no poisoning.
Arafat’s Polonium Poisoning Mystery Resurfaces|Christopher Dickey|November 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The real problem is that fossil fuels are also poisoning the planet.
Ian Morris’s Big Idea: Why the West Will Fall Behind|Ian Morris|March 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Arsenic has been used as a poisoning agent since the Middle Ages.
No Answers in Death of Technician Linked to Andrew Breitbart|Christine Pelisek|November 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“I feel as if they were poisoning me amongst them,” said Gartram quite savagely.
King of the Castle|George Manville Fenn
She told Briancourt, the tutor who had become her lover, that the poisoning of her brother the councillor was in progress.
Princes and Poisoners|Frantz Funck-Brentano
After long thought, he decided that an accusation of poisoning must come from Oloron.
File No. 113|Emile Gaboriau
Palo de la flecha, too, is used as poisoning material, and seems to be even more powerful than the two plants mentioned.
Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2)|Carl Lumholtz
Poisoning with water hemlock undoubtedly occurs more frequently than shown by any record.
Food Poisoning|Edwin Oakes Jordan

British Dictionary definitions for poisoning

poison

/ (ˈpɔɪzən) /

noun

any substance that can impair function, cause structural damage, or otherwise injure the bodyRelated adjective: toxic

something that destroys, corrupts, etcthe poison of fascism

a substance that retards a chemical reaction or destroys or inhibits the activity of a catalyst

a substance that absorbs neutrons in a nuclear reactor and thus slows down the reaction. It may be added deliberately or formed during fission

what's your poison? informal what would you like to drink?

verb (tr)

to give poison to (a person or animal) esp with intent to kill

to add poison to

to taint or infect with or as if with poison

(foll by against) to turn (a person's mind) againsthe poisoned her mind against me

to retard or stop (a chemical or nuclear reaction) by the action of a poison

to inhibit or destroy (the activity of a catalyst) by the action of a poison

Derived Forms

poisoner, noun

Word Origin for poison

C13: from Old French puison potion, from Latin pōtiō a drink, esp a poisonous one, from pōtāre to drink

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

Medicine definitions for poisoning (1 of 2)

poisoning

[ poi′zə-nĭng ]

n.

The state of being poisoned.

The administration of a poison.

Medicine definitions for poisoning (2 of 2)

poison

[ poi′zən ]

n.

A substance taken internally or applied externally that is injurious to health or dangerous to life.

A chemical substance that inhibits another substance or a reaction.

v.

To kill or harm with poison.

Idioms and Phrases with poisoning

poison

In addition to the idiom beginning with poison

, also see

one man's meat is another man's poison