poison
poison definition
poi·son (po̵i′zən)
noun
- a substance causing illness or death when eaten, drunk, or absorbed even in relatively small quantities
- anything harmful or destructive to happiness or welfare, such as an idea, emotion, etc.
- in a nuclear reactor, a substance, as boron, that readily absorbs thermal neutrons from a chain reaction, thereby decreasing the reactivity of a reactor core: it is used for safety or control
- Chem. a substance that inhibits or destroys the activity of a catalyst, enzyme, etc. or that interferes with or checks a reaction
Etymology: OFr < L potio, potion
transitive verb
- to give poison to; harm or destroy by means of poison
- to put poison on or into
- to influence wrongfully; corrupt to poison someone's mind
adjective
poisonous or poisoned
Related Forms:
- poisoner poi′·soner noun
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