poisoning
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the state of being sick because a harmful substance has entered your body.
the physiological condition or state of being affected by a toxic substance.
Simple“He had to go to the hospital because of food poisoning from the old fish.”
In context“The patient exhibited classic symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, including severe headaches and a distinctive confusion regarding his surroundings.”
UsageOften used with a qualifying noun like 'food', 'lead', or 'blood'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
the act of giving someone or something a harmful substance to hurt or kill them.
the deliberate or accidental administration of a toxic substance to a living organism.
Simple“The detective suspected that the death was a deliberate poisoning.”
In context“The forensic report confirmed that the mass poisoning of the local bird population was caused by illegal pesticides used on nearby farms.”
Synonymscontaminationenvenomation
“Fifteen poisoning cases from Nepali honey were documented in South Korea as early as 2013.”
“Fifteen poisoning cases from Nepalese honey were documented in South Korea as early as 2013.”
By surface analysis, poison + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.