poisonous

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

English

Etymology

From Middle English poisounous, poysonouse, equivalent to poison +‎ -ous.

Pronunciation

Adjective

poisonous (comparative more poisonous, superlative most poisonous)

  1. Containing sufficient poison to be dangerous to touch or ingest.
    Synonyms: poisoned, toxic, venomous, (dialectal or archaic) attery
    Antonyms: nonpoisonous, unpoisonous
    While highly poisonous to dogs, this substance is completely harmless if ingested by humans.
    • 1757, John Dyer, “Book I”, in The Fleece: A Poem […] ‎[1], London: R. and J. Dodsley, page 40:
      Nor taint-worm ſhall infect the yeaning herds / Nor penny-graſs, nor ſpearwort's poiſ'nous leaf.
    • 2003, Charles L. Fergus, Common Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the Northeast, Stackpole Books, →ISBN, page 77:
      I had picked a mushroom so poisonous that particles of it, stuck to my fingers and accidentally swallowed, could have made me deathly ill, and a piece the size of my thumb could have killed me.
  3. Of an animal such as a snake or spider, or parts of its body: producing a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting poison.
    Poisonous snakes should only be handled by experienced professionals.
    • 1787, F.S. Clavigero, The History of Mexico‎[2], London: G. G. J. and J. Robinson, page 60:
      The Cencoatl (o), which is alſo a poiſonous ſnake, is about five feet long, and eight inches round at the thickeſt part.
    • 1963, United States. Navy Department. Naval Operations Office, Poisonous Snakes of World‎[3], U.S. Government Printing Office, page 29:
      The characteristics which separate the dangerously venomous groups from their non-poisonous relatives are emphasized.
    • 2002, B. Kalman and K. Smithyman, The Life Cycle of a Spider‎[4], Crabtree Publishing Company, page 31:
      These antivenins make living near poisonous spiders much safer.
  4. (figuratively) Negative, harmful.
    Synonym: toxic
    • 2013, Kylie Griffin, Allegiance Sworn, Penguin, →ISBN:
      He didn't want to end up like his grandfather, bitter and intractable, consumed in his hatred like an addict on haze — a poisonous attitude that would possess him all his remaining years.

Usage notes

Some speakers, especially in technical contexts, make a distinction between poisonous (releasing toxins when eaten), and venomous (releasing toxins (known as venom in this case) by biting or stinging a target).

Derived terms

Translations

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=poisonous&oldid=79695390"