toxic

Meaning

  1. Having a chemical nature that is harmful to health or lethal if consumed or otherwise entering into the body in sufficient quantities.
  2. Appearing grossly unwell; characterised by serious, potentially life-threatening compromise in the respiratory, circulatory or other body systems.
  3. (figuratively) Severely negative or harmful.
  4. (figuratively) Hateful or strongly antipathetic.

Frequency

C1
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈtɒk.sɪk/
Etymology

Borrowed from French toxique, from Late Latin toxicus (“poisoned”), from Latin toxicum (“poison”), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón) [φάρμακον (phármakon)] ("poison for use on arrows"), from τοξικός (toxikós, “pertaining to arrows or archery”), from τόξον (tóxon, “bow”).

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