neurotoxin
noun
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The nervous system is almost all-powerful in the body: all five senses depend on it, as do breathing, digestion, and the heart. So it's an obvious target for poisons, and neurotoxins have developed as weapons in many animals, including snakes, bees, and spiders. Some wasps use a neurotoxin to paralyze their prey so that it can be stored alive to be eaten later. Snake venom is often neurotoxic (as in cobras and coral snakes, for example), though it may instead be hemotoxic (as in rattlesnakes and coppermouths), operating on the circulatory system. Artificial neurotoxins, called nerve agents, have been developed by scientists as means of chemical warfare; luckily, few have ever been used.
Examples of neurotoxin in a Sentence
Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
At lower levels, lead is a neurotoxin that can affect how a child’s brain grows and functions.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
Learn more about some recent discoveries: Venomous creature — armed with neurotoxin — found in Oman for first time.
—Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Pseudo-nitzschia produces a neurotoxin known as domoic acid.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Neurotoxin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurotoxin. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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neurotoxin
noun
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