poison Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism
    toxicant; poisonous substance.
  2. noun anything that harms or destroys
    • the poison of fascism
  3. verb spoil as if by poison
    • poison someone's mind
    • poison the atmosphere in the office
  4. verb kill with poison
    • She poisoned her husband
  5. verb add poison to
    envenom.
    • Her husband poisoned her drink in order to kill her
  6. verb kill by its poison
    • This mushrooms can poison
  7. verb administer poison to
    • She poisoned her husband but he did not die

WordNet

Poi"son noun
Etymology
F. poison, in Old French also, a potion, fr. L. potio a drink, draught, potion, a poisonous draught, fr. potare to drink. See Potable, and cf. Potion.
Definitions
  1. Any agent which, when introduced into the animal organism, is capable of producing a morbid, noxious, or deadly effect upon it; as, morphine is a deadly poison; the poison of pestilential diseases.
  2. That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as, the poison of evil example; the poison of sin. Syn. -- Venom; virus; bane; pest; malignity. -- Poison, Venom. Poison usually denotes something received into the system by the mouth, breath, etc. Venom is something discharged from animals and received by means of a wound, as by the bite or sting of serpents, scorpions, etc. Hence, venom specifically implies some malignity of nature or purpose.
Poi"son transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. OF. poisonner, F. empoissoner, L. potionare to give to drink. See Poison, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Poisoned ; present participle & verbal noun Poisoning
Definitions
  1. To put poison upon or into; to infect with poison; as, to poison an arrow; to poison food or drink. "The ingredients of our poisoned chalice." Shak.
  2. To injure or kill by poison; to administer poison to.
    If you poison us, do we not die ? Shak.
  3. To taint; to corrupt; to vitiate; as, vice poisons happiness; slander poisoned his mind.
    Whispering tongues can poison truth. Coleridge.
Poi"son intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To act as, or convey, a poison.
    Tooth that poisons if it bite. Shak.

Webster 1913