poison
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology
From Old French puison < Latin potio (“‘drink, a draught, a poisonous draught, a potion’”) < potare (“‘to drink’”). See also potion and potable.
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
poison (plural poisons)
- A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
- We used a poison to kill the weeds.
- Something that harms a person or thing.
- Gossip is a malicious poison.
- (idiomatic) A drink; liquor.
[edit] Synonyms
- (substance that is harmful): contaminant, pollutant, toxin, venom
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
substance harmful to a living organism
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[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to poison (third-person singular simple present poisons, present participle poisoning, simple past and past participle poisoned)
- (transitive) To use poison to kill or paralyse somebody
- The assassin poisoned the king.
- (transitive) To pollute; to cause some part of the environment to become poisonous
- That factory is poisoning the river.
- (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.
- (transitive) To cause someone to hate or to have unfair negative opinions
- She's poisoned him against all his old friends.
[edit] Synonyms
- (to pollute): contaminate, pollute, taint
- (to cause to become worse): corrupt, taint
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
to use poison to kill or paralyse
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pollute
[edit] References
- “poison” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001
- poison in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
[edit] French
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Noun
poison m. (plural poisons)
