toxin

noun

tox·​in ˈtäk-sən 

: a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation

Did you know?

Toxins Are Often Found in Nature

Long before chemists started creating poisons from scratch, humans were employing natural toxins for killing weeds and insects. For centuries South American tribes have used the toxin curare, extracted from a native vine, to tip their arrows. The garden flower called wolfsbane or monkshood is the source of aconite, an extremely potent toxin. The common flower known as jimsonweed contains the deadly poison scopolamine. And the castor-oil plant yields the almost unbelievably poisonous toxin called ricin. Today we hear health advisers of all kinds talk about ridding the body of toxins; but they're usually pretty vague about which ones they mean, and most of these "toxins" wouldn't be called that by biologists.

Synonyms

• bane
• poison
• toxic
• venom

Examples of toxin in a Sentence

the toxin in scorpion venom

read a pamphlet on the toxin responsible for botulism, a food poisoning that can cause paralysis and even death in some cases

Recent Examples on the Web

What Is Lead Poisoning? Lead poisoning happens when a person has been exposed to the toxin and develops a buildup in their body. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2025

The suit also states that Apple could have notified its health-conscious customers about the harmful toxins by using a different wristband material. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 23 Jan. 2025

After all, consuming none of a toxin is always going to be better than consuming some. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 23 Jan. 2025

The victim visited three hospitals to treat the symptoms and was diagnosed with Botulism toxin in March 2024, prosecutors said. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing toxin

• botulinum toxin
• environmental toxin

Kids Definition

toxin

noun

tox·​in ˈtäk-sən 

: a substance produced by a living organism (as a bacterium) that is very poisonous to other organisms and that usually causes antibody formation compare antitoxin

Etymology

derived from Latin tox- "poisonous" and English -in "chemical compound"; tox- from toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon "arrow poison," from toxon "bow, arrow" — related to intoxicate, toxic see Word History at intoxicate

Medical Definition

toxin

noun

tox·​in ˈtäk-sən 

: a colloidal proteinaceous poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation