poison

Meanings

Noun

• A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism when ingested.
• Something that harms a person or thing.
• An intoxicating drink; a liquor. (note: this sense is chiefly encountered in the phrases "name your poison" and "what's your poison ?")
• Any substance that inhibits catalytic activity.

Verb

• To use poison to kill or paralyse (somebody).
• To pollute; to cause to become poisonous.
• To cause to become much worse.
• To cause (someone) to hate or to have unfair negative opinions.
• To inhibit the catalytic activity of.
• To place false information into (a cache) as part of an exploit.

Related

Similar words

• atter, bane, contaminant, pollutant, toxin
• contaminate, pollute, taint
• corrupt, taint

Origin

• From Middle English poisoun, poyson, poysone, puyson, puisun, from Old French puison, poison, from Latin pōtio, from pōtō. Displaced native Old English ātor. See also potion and potable.