poi|son

poi|son
poi|son «POY zuhn», noun, verb, adjective.
–n.
1. a drug or other substance very dangerous to life and health: »

Mustard gas, arsenic, and opium are poisons.

SYNONYM(S): venom.
2. Figurative. anything deadly or harmful: »

Avoid the poison of hate.

3. a substance that stops or weakens the action of a catalyst or enzyme.
–v.t.
1. to kill or harm by poison: »

Farmers poison thousands of rats every year.

2. to put poison in or on: »

to poison food, to poison arrows.

3. Figurative. to have a very harmful effect on: »

Lies poison the mind. Whispering tongues can poison truth (Samuel Taylor Coleridge).

4. to stop or weaken the action of (a catalyst or enzyme).
–adj.
poisonous; toxic: »

the poison waters of our polluted streams.

╂[< Old French poison, earlier puisun < Latin pōtiō, -ōnis. See etym. of doublet potion. (Cf. ↑potion)]
–poi´son|er, noun.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • poi´son|er — poi|son «POY zuhn», noun, verb, adjective. –n. 1. a drug or other substance very dangerous to life and health: »Mustard gas, arsenic, and opium are poisons. SYNONYM(S): venom. 2. Figurative. anything deadly or harmful: »Avoid the poison of hate.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • poi´son|ous|ness — poi|son|ous «POY zuh nuhs», adjective. 1. containing poison; very harmful to life and health; venomous: »The rattlesnake s bite is poisonous. 2. Figurative. having a harmful effect: »a poisonous lie. SYNONYM(S): malevolent, malignant.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • poi´son|ous|ly — poi|son|ous «POY zuh nuhs», adjective. 1. containing poison; very harmful to life and health; venomous: »The rattlesnake s bite is poisonous. 2. Figurative. having a harmful effect: »a poisonous lie. SYNONYM(S): malevolent, malignant.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • poi|son|ous — «POY zuh nuhs», adjective. 1. containing poison; very harmful to life and health; venomous: »The rattlesnake s bite is poisonous. 2. Figurative. having a harmful effect: »a poisonous lie. SYNONYM(S): malevolent, malignant. –poi´son|ous|ly, adverb …   Useful english dictionary

  • poi|son-pen — «POY zuhn PEHN», adjective. designating vicious, slanderous, defamatory, and (usually) anonymous writings to or about a person …   Useful english dictionary

  • poi|son|ing — «POY zuh nihng», noun. 1. the administering of a poison: »a case of murder by poisoning. 2. the ingestion of a poison: »Death occurred by poisoning …   Useful english dictionary

  • coun|ter|poi|son — «KOWN tuhr POY zuhn», noun. a poison used to counteract another poison; an antidote …   Useful english dictionary

  • em|poi|son — «ehm POY zuhn», transitive verb. Archaic. to poison; taint; embitter …   Useful english dictionary

  • tame-poi|son — «TAYM POY zuhn», noun. an herb of the milkweed family native to Europe whose root was formerly used as an antidote to poisons …   Useful english dictionary

  • son — son·a·ti·na; son·chus; son·dage; son·de·li; son·ghai; son·gish; son·gle; son·go; son·ics; son·i·fi·ca·tion; son·less; son·ly; son·ne; son·ne·ra·tia; son·ne·ra·ti·a·ce·ae; son·net·ist; son·net·ize; son·net·ry; son·ny; son·o·buoy; son;… …   English syllables

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”