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Webster 1913 Edition


Poison

Poi′son

,
Noun.
[F.
poison
, in Old French also, a potion, fr. L.
potio
a drink, draught, potion, a poisonous draught, fr.
potare
to drink. See
Potable
, and cf.
Potion
.]
1.
Any agent which, when introduced into the animal organism, is capable of producing a morbid, noxious, or deadly effect upon it;
as, morphine is a deadly
poison
; the
poison
of pestilential diseases.
2.
That which taints or destroys moral purity or health;
as, the
poison
of evil example; the
poison
of sin.
Syn. – Venom; virus; bane; pest; malignity.
Poison
,
Venom
. Poison usually denotes something received into the system by the mouth, breath, etc. Venom is something discharged from animals and received by means of a wound, as by the bite or sting of serpents, scorpions, etc. Hence, venom specifically implies some malignity of nature or purpose.

Poi′son

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Poisoned
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Poisoning
.]
[Cf. OF.
poisonner
, F.
empoissoner
, L.
potionare
to give to drink. See
Poison
,
Noun.
]
1.
To put poison upon or into; to infect with poison;
as, to
poison
an arrow; to
poison
food or drink.
“The ingredients of our poisoned chalice.”
Shak.
2.
To injure or kill by poison; to administer poison to.
If you
poison
us, do we not die ?
Shakespeare
3.
To taint; to corrupt; to vitiate;
as, vice
poisons
happiness; slander
poisoned
his mind.
Whispering tongues can
poison
truth.
Coleridge.

Poi′son

,
Verb.
I.
To act as, or convey, a poison.
Tooth that
poisons
if it bite.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition


Poison

POISON

,
Noun.
poiz'n. [L. pus.]
1.
A substance which, when taken into the stomach,mixed with the blood or applied to the skin or flesh, proves fatal or deleterious by an action not mechanical; venom. The more active and virulent poisons destroy life in a short time; others are slow in their operation, others produce inflammation without proving fatal. In the application of poison, much depends on the quantity.
2.
Any thing infectious, malignant, or noxious to health; as the poison of pestilential diseases.
3.
That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as the poison of evil example; the poison of sin.

Definition 2024


poison

poison

See also: poisson and Poisson

English

Noun

poison (countable and uncountable, plural poisons)

  1. A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
    We used a poison to kill the weeds.
  2. Something that harms a person or thing.
    Gossip is a malicious poison.
  3. (informal) A drink; liquor.
    - What's your poison?
    - I'll have a glass of whisky.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

poison (third-person singular simple present poisons, present participle poisoning, simple past and past participle poisoned)

  1. (transitive) To use poison to kill or paralyse somebody
    The assassin poisoned the king.
  2. (transitive) To pollute; to cause some part of the environment to become poisonous
    That factory is poisoning the river.
  3. (transitive) To cause something to become much worse
    Suspicion will poison their relationship.
    He poisoned the mood in the room with his non-stop criticism.
  4. (transitive) To cause someone to hate or to have unfair negative opinions
    She's poisoned him against all his old friends.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  • poison” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
  • poison in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pwa.zɔ̃/

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin potio, potionis.

Noun

poison m (plural poisons)

  1. poison

Derived terms

Related terms


Old French

Etymology

From Latin potio, potionis.

Noun

poison f (oblique plural poisons, nominative singular poison, nominative plural poisons)

  1. poison
    • circa 1176, Chrétien de Troyes, Cligès:
      Thessala tranpre sa poison
      Thessala mixed her poison
  2. potion

Descendants