Toxicology

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌtɒksɪˈkɒləd͡ʒi/

Definitions

1. The scientific study of poisons, their effects on living organisms, and methods for detecting and treating poisoning
2. The branch of science that examines harmful substances, their impact on biological systems, and approaches to manage poisoning incidents
3. A field focused on understanding the harmful effects of chemicals on health, including analysis and treatment of toxic exposure

Etymology: Toxicology is a plain compound: "toxico-", from the Greek "toxikon" (the poison in which arrows were dipped, from "toxon", a bow), joined to "-logy", the suffix meaning "the study of" from Greek "logos". Put together, the word literally names the study of poisons, and the formation follows the same pattern as words like "biology" or "geology". The word reached English through French "toxicologie", which was built from the same Greek elements. The Greek root carries a neat image: the word for poison was tied to the bow because archers smeared their arrowheads with toxic substances, so "toxikon" originally meant something like "bow-poison." Its modern sense has broadened well beyond ancient poisoning. Today the field covers how chemicals, drugs and environmental pollutants affect living systems, and how doctors and emergency staff respond when someone has been poisoned.

Synonyms: poison study, study of toxins