poison

/'pɔizn/

Thân thiện

A child keeps all household poisons locked safely in a high cabinet.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A substance that causes injury, illness, or death to a living organism when introduced or absorbed: A chemical or biological agent that disrupts normal physiological functions.
   • (Figurative) Something that has a harmful or corrupting influence: An idea, feeling, or situation that damages or destroys something positive.

2. Verb:

   • To administer poison to (someone or something): To give a toxic substance with the intent to harm or kill.
   • To kill, injure, or infect with poison: To cause death or illness through a toxic substance.
   • To contaminate or spoil with a harmful substance: To add a toxic element to something.
   • (Figurative) To have a harmful or corrupting effect on: To ruin or damage something intangible, such as a relationship, atmosphere, or mind.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The lab tested the liquid to see if it contained a deadly poison.
  • Gossip can be a poison that destroys trust within a community.
• Verb:
  • The hunter used a special dart to poison the animal.
  • Industrial waste can poison the local water supply.
  • His constant negativity began to poison the team's morale.

Advanced Usage

• "What's your poison?": (Idiomatic, informal) A humorous way to ask someone what alcoholic drink they would like.
  • At the bar, he smiled and asked, "So, what's your poison?"
• To act as a poison pill: (Business/Finance) A strategy used by a company to make itself less attractive to a hostile takeover attempt.
  • The board adopted a poison pill provision to deter the corporate raider.

Variants and Related Words

• Poisonous (adj): Containing poison; capable of causing harm or death.
  • That plant is highly poisonous to cats.
• Poisoner (n): A person who poisons someone or something.
• Poisoning (n): The action of administering poison or the state of being affected by poison.
  • He was hospitalized for food poisoning.

Synonyms

• Toxin (n): A poisonous substance, especially one produced by a living organism.
• Venom (n): A poisonous substance secreted by animals (e.g., snakes, spiders) and typically injected by biting or stinging.
• Contaminate (v): To make something impure or harmful by adding a poisonous or polluting substance.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Poison against: To influence someone to feel strong dislike or distrust towards someone or something.
  • He tried to poison his colleagues against the new manager with false rumors.

Related Idioms

• One man's meat is another man's poison: What is good or enjoyable for one person may be bad or harmful for another.
  • I love extreme sports, but my brother thinks they're terrifying. One man's meat is another man's poison.
• Hate someone/thing like poison: To detest someone or something intensely.
  • The two rivals hated each other like poison.

Học thuật

Noun

1. anything that harms or destroys
   • the poison of fascism
2. any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a living organism

Verb

1. administer poison to
   • She poisoned her husband but he did not die
2. kill by its poison
   • This mushrooms can poison
3. add poison to
   • Her husband poisoned her drink in order to kill her
4. kill with poison
   • She poisoned her husband
5. spoil as if by poison
   • poison someone's mind
   • poison the atmosphere in the office

Từ đồng nghĩa

• toxicant
• poisonous substance
• envenom