See Also: poison(1)(dictionary)
poison(2)(dictionary)
poison oak(encyclopedia)
Poison(health)
Poison put(finance)
Poison put(money)
poison(encyclopedia)
poison ivy(encyclopedia)
poison oak(medicine)
poison gas(dictionary)

poison(2) (iou)



poison verb trans. ME.
[Old French poisonner give to drink, from poison: see the noun.]
Administer poison to; introduce poison into the system of; kill or injure by means of poison. ME.
Dryden The Water-Snake..lyes poyson'd in his Bed. V. S. Pritchett Mashenka had poisoned her husband.
b. Produce deleterious changes in (the blood, a wound, a limb, etc.) by impregnation or infusion of a harmful natural agent, as bacteria, a toxin, etc. E17.
blood-poisoning: see BLOOD noun.
Impregnate, taint, or infect (air, water, etc.) with poison so as to make it harmful to life; charge or smear (a weapon) with poison. LME.
poisoned chalice [Shakes. Macb.] fig. an assignment, award, honour, etc., which is likely to prove a disadvantage or source of problems to the recipient.
B. Malamud You're poisoning my food to kill me off.
fig.
a. Corrupt, pervert morally; turn to error or evil. LME.
P. Toynbee Their suppressed guilt poisons their minds.
b. Prove harmful or destructive to (an action, state, etc.); spoil (one's pleasure etc.). E17.
A. Koestler Venality and corruption were poisoning public life. Rugby World & Post The game was poisoned by a stamping incident.
Make unfit for its purpose by some deleterious addition or application. E16.
C. G. W. Lock Their furnaces were..'poisoned', and rendered unfit for refining.
b. Chemistry. Of a substance: reduce or destroy the activity of (a catalyst). E20.
c. Act as a poison in (a nuclear reactor or fuel). M20.
poisonable adjective (a) poisonous; (b) able to be poisoned; subject to poison: L15.
poisoner noun (a) a person who or (less usu.) a thing which poisons someone or something; (b) Austral. & NZ slang a cook, esp. for large numbers: LME.