Lethals

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A substance or action capable of causing death
2. something that has the potential to be fatal in nature
3. an item or agent specifically designed or used with lethal intent

Etymology: "Lethals" is the plural of "lethal", used as a noun for things that kill. The adjective "lethal" comes from Latin "lētālis", meaning "deadly, mortal, fatal", and that Latin word was built from "lētum", "death". Classical writers, however, often spelled it "lēthālis" and "lēthum", the spelling that reached English, and this was a mistake: it was linked to the Greek "lḗthē", meaning "oblivion" or "forgetfulness". The Greek connection is a false one, since "lētum" has no real link to that word, yet the misspelling stuck. The adjective entered English as a learned borrowing from Latin, so its connection to death was clear from the start. The spelling with the extra "h" that many people still see today comes from that mistaken association with Greek, not from any genuine relationship between the two words.

Synonyms: deadly, fatal, mortal, dangerous, deadly agents

Antonyms: harmless, safe, nonlethal, innocuous, beneficial