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.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on 13 April at Basildon Hospital, but pathologists were waiting for toxicology results and a report from Thailand, the inquest heard.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Symptoms, which toxicology experts associate with sulfur-dioxide exposure, were worst among people living closest to the processing plant, the report from the Environmental Investigation Agency said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
Autopsies were performed Thursday and toxicology results are expected in a few weeks, said Tony Cipolla, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
Heard says interest in using fomepizole for acetaminophen overdose dates back to the 1990s, when he was training in medical toxicology.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 18, 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.
