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definitions

poisonwood

[ poi-zuh n-woo d ]
/ ˈpɔɪ zənˌwʊd /
|

noun

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

Nearby words

  1. poison-pen letter,
  2. poisoner,
  3. poisoning,
  4. poisonous,
  5. poisonously,
  6. poisson,
  7. poisson distribution,
  8. poisson's ratio,
  9. poitevin,
  10. poitier

Origin of poisonwood

An Americanism dating back to 1715–25; poison + wood1
Also called poison tree.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for poisonwood

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

    Great Weekend Reads|The Daily Beast|March 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST

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

    American Forest Trees|Henry H. Gibson

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

    American Forest Trees|Henry H. Gibson