poison
Contents
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English poisoun, poyson, poysone, puyson, puisun, from Old French puison, poison, from Latin pōtio, pōtiōnis (“drink, a draught, a poisonous draught, a potion”), from pōtō (“I drink”). See also potion and potable.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
poison (countable and uncountable, plural poisons)
- A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism.
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We used a poison to kill the weeds.
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1599, Shakespeare, William, THE MOST EX-cellent and lamentable Tragedie, of Romeo and Iuliet. Newly corrected, augmented, and amended: As it hath bene ſundry times publiquely acted, by the right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine his Serunts.[1], 2nd Quarto, London: Printed by Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, and are to be ſold at his ſhop neare the Exchange., Act V, scene iii:
- […] I will kiſſe thy lips,
Happlie ſome poyſon yet doth hang on them,
To make me dye with a reſtoratiue.
Thy lips are warme.
- […] I will kiſſe thy lips,
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- Something that harms a person or thing.
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Gossip is a malicious poison.
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- (informal) A drink; liquor.
- — What's your poison?
- — I'll have a glass of whisky.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Terms related to poison
Translations[edit]
substance harmful to a living organism
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something that harms
Verb[edit]
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
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The assassin poisoned the king.
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- (transitive) To pollute; to cause some part of the environment to become poisonous
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That factory is poisoning the river.
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- (transitive) To cause something to become much worse
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Suspicion will poison their relationship.
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He poisoned the mood in the room with his non-stop criticism.
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- (transitive) To cause someone to hate or to have unfair negative opinions
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She's poisoned him against all his old friends.
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Synonyms[edit]
- (to pollute): contaminate, pollute, taint
- (to cause to become worse): corrupt, taint
Derived terms[edit]
Terms derived from poison
Translations[edit]
to use poison to kill or paralyse
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pollute
make worse
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References[edit]
- “poison” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.
- poison in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Old French, inherited from Latin pōtio, pōtiōnis. Doublet of potion, a borrowing.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
poison m (plural poisons)
- poison
- Poisson sans boisson est poison — Fish gotta swim.
Derived terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “poison” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Old French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Noun[edit]
poison f (oblique plural poisons, nominative singular poison, nominative plural poisons)
- poison
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circa 1176, Chrétien de Troyes, Cligès:
- Thessala tranpre sa poison
- Thessala mixed her poison
- Thessala tranpre sa poison
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- potion
Descendants[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English informal terms
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English basic words
- en:Poisons
- en:Toxicology
- French terms inherited from Old French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French terms inherited from Latin
- French terms derived from Latin
- French doublets
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French nouns
- French masculine nouns
- French countable nouns
- Old French terms inherited from Latin
- Old French terms derived from Latin
- Old French lemmas
- Old French nouns
- Old French feminine nouns
