toxicology
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of toxicology
Explanation
Toxicology is the field that studies poisons, especially how poisons work and how to treat them. If you’re writing a true crime story, you should study toxicology to know what happens when the villain poisons the victim’s tea. Mwah ha ha. Have you ever seen a label that said "toxic"? That means that substance will harm you. Toxicology — which is a branch of pharmacology — has to do with toxic substances (poisons). It comes from the Greek word for “arrow poison.” Not all poisons come at the end of an arrow, though. If a toxicology report is done on a dead person, it will reveal if they had any dangerous substances in them, such as illegal drugs or drain cleaner.
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.
Most previous toxicology research involving honeybees has centered on worker bees.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
Dr. David Schaffer is an emergency physician and chief of the division of medical toxicology at Prisma Health, a South Carolina health system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Greek police told the BBC they were awaiting the outcome of the toxicology tests to determine the cause of death and ascertain whether foul play was involved.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Cameron, the center’s hospital and rehabilitation manager, said that they were waiting on blood work and toxicology results.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Baird conceded, though, that because of the toxicology issues, this one may be tougher than the one with the driver and the bad brakes.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
