The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
poisonous — poisonous, venomous, virulent, toxic, mephitic, pestilent, pestilential, miasmic, miasmatic, miasmal are comparable when they mean having the properties or the effects of poison (see POISON) Basically poisonous implies that the thing so described … New Dictionary of Synonyms
poisonous — index deadly, deleterious, fatal, harmful, incendiary, insalubrious, lethal, malevolent, malignant … Law dictionary
poisonous — (adj.) 1570s, from POISON (Cf. poison) + OUS (Cf. ous). Other candidates for the job were poisonsome (1590s), poisonful (1550s) … Etymology dictionary
poisonous — ► ADJECTIVE 1) producing or of the nature of poison. 2) extremely unpleasant or malicious. DERIVATIVES poisonously adverb … English terms dictionary
poisonous — [poi′zə nəs] adj. capable of injuring or killing by or as by poison; containing, or having the effects of, a poison; toxic; venomous poisonously adv. poisonousness n … English World dictionary
poisonous — poi|son|ous [ˈpɔızənəs] adj 1.) containing poison or producing poison ▪ Some mushrooms are extremely poisonous. ▪ poisonous gases such as hydrogen sulfide ▪ poisonous substances ▪ She was bitten on the ankle by a poisonous snake . poisonous to ▪… … Dictionary of contemporary English
poisonous — [[t]pɔ͟ɪz(ə)nəs[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED Something that is poisonous will kill you or make you ill if you swallow or absorb it. All parts of the yew tree are poisonous, including the berries. ...a large cloud of poisonous gas. Syn: toxic 2) ADJ GRADED… … English dictionary
poisonous — poisonously, adv. poisonousness, n. /poy zeuh neuhs/, adj. 1. full of or containing poison: poisonous air; a poisonous substance. 2. harmful; destructive: poisonous to animals; poisonous rumors. 3. deeply malicious; malevolent: poisonous efforts … Universalium
poisonous — adjective 1 containing poison or producing poison: poisonous mushrooms | poisonous snakes 2 full of unpleasant and unfriendly feelings: There was a poisonous atmosphere in the household that made Bonita feel very uneasy. 3 someone who is… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
poisonous — poi|son|ous [ pɔıznəs ] adjective * 1. ) containing poison: poisonous gases/plants a ) capable of producing poison: a poisonous snake 2. ) causing a lot of damage or harm: the poisonous spread of urban sprawl a ) extremely unpleasant or unkind: a … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
