toxicology

noun

tox·​i·​col·​o·​gy ˌtäk-si-ˈkä-lə-jē How to pronounce toxicology (audio)
: a science that deals with poisons and their effect and with the problems involved (such as clinical, industrial, or legal problems)
toxicologist noun

Did you know?

Even though most of us are aware of toxicology primarily from crime shows on TV, toxicologists actually do most of their work in other fields. Many are employed by drug companies, others by chemical companies. Many work for the government, making sure the public is being kept safe from environmental poisons in the water, soil, and air, as well as unhealthy substances in our food and drugs. These issues often have to do with quantity; questions about how much of some substance should be considered dangerous, whether in the air or in a soft drink, may be left to toxicologists. But occasionally a toxicology task may be more exciting: for instance, discovering that what looked like an ordinary heart attack was actually brought on by a hypodermic injection of a paralyzing muscle relaxant.

Examples of toxicology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Even low lead levels can cause small amounts of intellectual impairment depending on the child, according to Dr. Adam Blumenberg, emergency medicine physician and toxicology expert at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Paulina Smolinski, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2024 Initial toxicology reports indicate drugs were found in his body while local reports said drug paraphernalia was also found in his hotel room. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024 Music Simon Cowell pays tribute to Liam Payne; Sharon Osbourne blames music industry for failing him Oct. 18, 2024 Medical examiners last week requested a toxicology report, the preliminary results of which were reported Monday by ABC News, which cited unidentified sources. Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024 The prosecutor’s office handling the case said in a statement that the toxicology report is still pending. Jack Irvin, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for toxicology 

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toxicology was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near toxicology

Cite this Entry

“Toxicology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicology. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

toxicology

noun
tox·​i·​col·​o·​gy -ˈkäl-ə-jē How to pronounce toxicology (audio)
plural toxicologies
: the scientific study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on the living organism

More from Merriam-Webster on toxicology

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