poisonwood

[ poi-zuhn-wood ]

noun

1. a tree, Metopium toxiferum, of southern Florida, that has compound leaves and yellowish, berrylike fruits and is poisonous to touch.

Word History and Origins

Origin of poisonwood¹

An Americanism dating back to 1715–25; poison + wood ¹

Example Sentences

The book's setting has drawn some comparisons to Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible.

From The Daily Beast

The tree occurs in southern Florida where it is sometimes known as poisonwood.

From Project Gutenberg

Poison sumach (Rhus vernix) is not the same as poisonwood, though sometimes the two are confounded.

From Project Gutenberg