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Poison: meaning, definitions and examples

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poison

 

[ ˈpɔɪzən ]

Noun / Verb
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Noun

dangerous substance

A substance that is capable of causing illness or death when introduced or absorbed into the body.

Synonyms

toxicant, toxin, venom

Examples of usage

  • The poison was hidden in the drink.
  • She was poisoned by the toxic chemicals in the air.
  • The snake's venom is a deadly poison.
Context #2 | Verb

to harm with poison

To administer poison to (a person or animal) in order to kill or harm.

Synonyms

contaminate, pollute, taint

Examples of usage

  • He tried to poison his rival's drink.
  • The murder was committed by poisoning the victim.

Translations

Translations of the word "poison" in other languages:

🇵🇹 veneno

🇮🇳 ज़हर

🇩🇪 Gift

🇮🇩 racun

🇺🇦 отрута

🇵🇱 trucizna

🇯🇵 毒 (どく, doku)

🇫🇷 poison

🇪🇸 veneno

🇹🇷 zehir

🇰🇷 독 (dok)

🇸🇦 سم

🇨🇿 jed

🇸🇰 jed

🇨🇳 毒药 (dúyào)

🇸🇮 strup

🇮🇸 eitur

🇰🇿 у

🇬🇪 შხამი

🇦🇿 zəhər

🇲🇽 veneno

Etymology

The word 'poison' originated from the Old French 'poison', which came from the Latin 'potio' meaning 'a drink' or 'a potion'. The concept of poison has been present throughout human history, used for various purposes such as hunting, warfare, and assassination. Poison has been a subject of fascination and fear, often associated with mystery and danger.

See also: poisoning, poisonous, poisonousness, poisons.

Word Frequency Rank

At #5,731 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.