Search Result for "poison": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (2)

1. any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism;
[syn: poison, toxicant, poisonous substance]

2. anything that harms or destroys;
- Example: "the poison of fascism"


VERB (5)

1. spoil as if by poison;
- Example: "poison someone's mind"
- Example: "poison the atmosphere in the office"

2. kill with poison;
- Example: "She poisoned her husband"

3. add poison to;
- Example: "Her husband poisoned her drink in order to kill her"
[syn: poison, envenom]

4. kill by its poison;
- Example: "This mushrooms can poison"

5. administer poison to;
- Example: "She poisoned her husband but he did not die"


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poison \Poi"son\, n. [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.] 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. [1913 Webster] 2. That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as, the poison of evil example; the poison of sin. [1913 Webster] Poison ash. (Bot.) (a) A tree of the genus Amyris (Amyris balsamifera) found in the West Indies, from the trunk of which a black liquor distills, supposed to have poisonous qualities. (b) The poison sumac (Rhus venenata). [U. S.] Poison dogwood (Bot.), poison sumac. Poison fang (Zool.), one of the superior maxillary teeth of some species of serpents, which, besides having the cavity for the pulp, is either perforated or grooved by a longitudinal canal, at the lower end of which the duct of the poison gland terminates. See Illust. under Fang. Poison gland (Biol.), a gland, in animals or plants, which secretes an acrid or venomous matter, that is conveyed along an organ capable of inflicting a wound. Poison hemlock (Bot.), a poisonous umbelliferous plant (Conium maculatum). See Hemlock. Poison ivy (Bot.), a poisonous climbing plant (formerly Rhus Toxicodendron, or Rhus radicans, now classified as Toxicodendron radicans) of North America. It is common as a climbing vine, especially found on tree trunks, or walls, or as a low, spreading vine or as a shrub. As a low vine it grows well in lightly shaded areas, recognizable by growing in clusters of three leaves. Its leaves are trifoliate, rhombic-ovate, and variously notched. Its form varies slightly from location to location, leading to some speculation that it may consist of more than one species. Many people are poisoned by it, though some appear resistant to its effects. Touching the leaves may leave a residue of an oil on the skin, and if not washed off quickly, sensitive areas of skin become reddened and develop multiple small blisters, lasting for several days to several weeks, and causing a persistent itch. The toxic reaction is due to an oil, present in all parts of the plant except the pollen, called urushiol, the active component of which is the compound pentadecylacatechol (according to [a href="http:]/www.jaxmed.com/articles/Diseases/poison_ivy_dermatitis.htm">Charles H. Booras). See Poison sumac. It is related to poison oak, and is also called mercury. Poison nut. (Bot.) (a) Nux vomica. (b) The tree which yields this seed (Strychnos Nuxvomica). It is found on the Malabar and Coromandel coasts. Poison oak (Bot.), a dermatitis-producing plant often lumped together with the poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) in common terminology, but more properly distinguished as the more shrubby Toxicodendron quercifolium (syn. Toxicodendron diversilobum), common in California and Oregon. Opinion varies as to whether the poison oak and poison ivy are only variants of a single species. See poison ivy, above. Poison sac. (Zool.) Same as Poison gland, above. See Illust. under Fang. Poison sumac (Bot.), a poisonous shrub formerly considered to be of the genus Rhus (Rhus venenata), but now classified as Toxicodendron vernix; -- also called poison ash, poison dogwood, and poison elder. It has pinnate leaves on graceful and slender common petioles, and usually grows in swampy places. Both this plant and the poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans, formerly Rhus Toxicodendron) have clusters of smooth greenish white berries, while the red-fruited species of this genus are harmless. The tree (Rhus vernicifera) which yields the celebrated Japan lacquer is almost identical with the poison sumac, and is also very poisonous. The juice of the poison sumac also forms a lacquer similar to that of Japan. [1913 Webster +PJC] Syn: Venom; virus; bane; pest; malignity. Usage: 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. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poison \Poi"son\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poisoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Poisoning.] [Cf. OF. poisonner, F. empoissoner, L. potionare to give to drink. See Poison, n.] [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster] 2. To injure or kill by poison; to administer poison to. [1913 Webster] If you poison us, do we not die ? --Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. To taint; to corrupt; to vitiate; as, vice poisons happiness; slander poisoned his mind. [1913 Webster] Whispering tongues can poison truth. --Coleridge. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Poison \Poi"son\, v. i. To act as, or convey, a poison. [1913 Webster] Tooth that poisons if it bite. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

poison n 1: any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism [syn: poison, toxicant, poisonous substance] 2: anything that harms or destroys; "the poison of fascism" v 1: spoil as if by poison; "poison someone's mind"; "poison the atmosphere in the office" 2: kill with poison; "She poisoned her husband" 3: add poison to; "Her husband poisoned her drink in order to kill her" [syn: poison, envenom] 4: kill by its poison; "This mushrooms can poison" 5: administer poison to; "She poisoned her husband but he did not die"
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

282 Moby Thesaurus words for "poison": Cain, DDD, DDT, Paris green, abomination, abuse, acaricide, activate, adulterate, adulteration, afflict, aggrieve, alloy, annihilate, anthelmintic, antibiotic, antimony, antiseptic, apache, arsenic, arsenic trioxide, assassin, assassinator, atrocity, bad, bane, befoul, befoulment, bereave of life, beryllium, bewitch, bichloride of mercury, blight, bloodletter, bloodshedder, bravo, bug bomb, burker, butcher, button man, cadmium, cancer, canker, cannibal, carbamate insecticide, carbolic acid, carbon monoxide, carbon tetrachloride, carry away, carry off, charge, cheapen, chemosterilant, chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide, chlorine, chloroform, coarsen, communicability, condemn, confound, contact poison, contagion, contagiousness, contaminate, contamination, corrupt, corruption, crucify, crying evil, curse, cut down, cut off, cutthroat, cyanide, damage, deadliness, debase, debauch, defile, defilement, deflower, defoliant, degenerate, degrade, demoralize, denature, deprave, deprive of life, desecrate, desperado, despoil, despoliation, destroy, destruction, destructiveness, detriment, devalue, disadvantage, disinfectant, dispatch, dispose of, disserve, distort, distress, do a mischief, do away with, do evil, do for, do ill, do to death, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, embalming fluid, empoison, end, envenom, eradicant, eradicator, evil, execute, executioner, exterminate, exterminator, finish, finish off, formaldehyde, fumigant, fungicide, garroter, germicide, get into trouble, gorilla, grievance, gun, gunman, gunsel, harass, harm, hatchet man, havoc, head-hunter, herbicide, hex, hit man, homicidal maniac, homicide, hurt, hydrocyanic acid, hyoscyamine, ill, immolate, impair, infect, infection, infectiousness, infectivity, injure, injury, insect powder, insecticide, irradiate, jinx, kill, killer, launch into eternity, lead, liquidate, lynch, make away with, malignancy, maltreat, man-eater, man-killer, manslayer, martyr, martyrize, massacrer, matador, menace, mephitic, mephitis, mercuric chloride, mercury, miasma, microbicide, mischief, mistreat, misuse, miticide, molest, murder, murderer, mustard gas, nicotine, noxiousness, organic chlorine, organic phosphate insecticide, outrage, panther piss, persecute, pervert, pesticide, pestilence, phenol, plague, play havoc with, play hob with, poison gas, poisoner, poisonousness, pollute, pollution, prejudice, prostitute, prussic acid, purge, put away, put down, put to death, put to sleep, radiumize, rat poison, ravage, ravish, remove from life, roach paste, roach powder, rodenticide, rotgut, sacrifice, savage, scathe, selenium, shellac, slaughterer, slay, slayer, sophistication, stain, starve, stomach poison, strangler, strychnine, subvert, systemic, systemic insecticide, taint, take life, take off, the worst, threaten, thug, torment, torpedo, torture, toxic, toxicant, toxicity, toxin, trigger man, twist, ulcerate, venin, venom, venomous, venomousness, vermicide, vexation, violate, virulence, virulency, virulent, virus, vitiate, vulgarize, warp, weed killer, woe, wound, wreak havoc on, wrong
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Poison (1.) Heb. hemah, "heat," the poison of certain venomous reptiles (Deut. 32:24, 33; Job 6:4; Ps. 58:4), causing inflammation. (2.) Heb. rosh, "a head," a poisonous plant (Deut. 29:18), growing luxuriantly (Hos. 10:4), of a bitter taste (Ps. 69:21; Lam. 3:5), and coupled with wormwood; probably the poppy. This word is rendered "gall", q.v., (Deut. 29:18; 32:33; Ps. 69:21; Jer. 8:14, etc.), "hemlock" (Hos. 10:4; Amos 6:12), and "poison" (Job 20:16), "the poison of asps," showing that the _rosh_ was not exclusively a vegetable poison. (3.) In Rom. 3:13 (comp. Job 20:16; Ps. 140:3), James 3:8, as the rendering of the Greek ios.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

POISON, crim. law. Those substances which, when applied to the organs of the body, are capable of altering or destroying, in a majority of cases, some or all of the functions necessary to life, are called poisons. 3 Fodere, Traite de Med. Leg. 449; Guy, Med. Jur. 520. 2. When administered with a felonious intent of committing, murder, if. death ensues, it is murder the most detestable, because it can of all others, be least prevented by manhood or forethought. It is a deliberate act necessarily implying malice. 1 Russ. Cr. 429. For the signs which indicate poisoning, vide 2 Beck's Med. Jurisp. ch. 16, p. 236, et seq.; Cooper's Med. Jurisp. 47; Ryan's Med. Jurisp. ch. 15, p. 202, et seq.; Traill, Med. Jur. 109.