venom

Meanings

Noun

• A poison carried by an animal, usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging.
• Feeling or speech marked by spite or malice; vitriol.

Verb

• To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison.

Adjective

• Poisonous, poisoned; (figuratively) pernicious.

Related

Similar words

• atter (archaic, dialectal)

Origin

• From Middle English venum, venym, from Anglo-Norman venum, venim, venime, from Old French venim, venin, from Vulgar Latin *venīmen, from Latin venēnum, from Proto-Italic *weneznom, from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- ("to strive, wish, love"); see also Sanskrit वनति and Latin Venus.