blood-poisoning
Definition
- Noun:
- A medical condition: "blood-poisoning" refers to a serious medical condition caused by the presence of harmful bacteria or toxins in the bloodstream, often resulting from an infection that spreads from a localized source (such as a wound or abscess). It is also known as sepsis.
Usage Examples
- (A medical condition caused by bacteria in the blood.)
- (A severe systemic infection.)
Advanced Usage
"to develop blood-poisoning": to contract the condition.
- He developed blood-poisoning from an untreated cut. (The condition arose from a minor injury that became infected.)
"to die of blood-poisoning": to succumb to the condition.
- In the 19th century, many soldiers died of blood-poisoning from battlefield wounds. (Fatal outcome due to infection.)
Variants and Related Words
Blood poisoning (n, alternative spelling): the same condition, often written without a hyphen.
- Blood poisoning is a medical emergency. (Serious bloodstream infection.)
Septicaemia (n, synonym): a more formal medical term for blood poisoning.
- The doctor diagnosed septicaemia, commonly called blood poisoning. (Medical terminology.)
Synonyms
- Sepsis: a life-threatening condition caused by the body's response to an infection.
- Septicaemia: the presence of bacteria in the blood, often leading to sepsis.
- Toxaemia: the presence of toxins in the blood, sometimes used interchangeably with blood poisoning.
Related Idioms
- "poison in the blood": a figurative expression for something harmful or corrupting within a person or system.
- The company's culture had a poison in the blood that led to its downfall. (A pervasive harmful influence.)
Phrasal Verbs
- "to get blood poisoning": to contract the condition.
- He got blood poisoning from stepping on a rusty nail. (He developed the infection.)