Venomous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛnəməs/

Definitions

1. Capable of injecting toxic substances through a bite or sting to harm or kill prey and predators
2. Having the ability to produce and deliver harmful toxins via specialized anatomical structures, typically to incapacitate prey or defend against threats
3. Possessing biological mechanisms to secrete poisons that can injure or lethally affect other organisms when introduced through bites or stings

Etymology: "Venomous" is a Middle English borrowing from Old French "venimos," a form that was itself built from "venim," meaning "venom," plus the adjective-forming suffix "-os." Its ancestry runs back to Latin "venenum," which meant poison in general, not specifically the injected toxin of a snake or spider. The word's English form therefore follows the same path as "venom" itself, with the suffix added to show a quality of having venom. The word has a close relative in "venenous," a doublet that came into English from Latin directly, so the two words are cousins that took different routes into the language. "Venenous" is now rare, while "venomous" has become the everyday term for animals and people alike. French preserves a parallel form, "venimeux," which likewise means having venom.

Synonyms: toxic, poisonous, dangerous, harmful, deadly

Antonyms: harmless, innocuous, safe, benign, nonpoisonous