poisonous

Definition

Containing sufficient poison to be dangerous to touch or ingest.

Etymology

From Middle English poisounous, poysonouse. By surface analysis, poison + -ous.

Example Sentences

• "While highly poisonous to dogs, this substance is completely harmless if ingested by humans."
• "Nor taint-worm ſhall infect the yeaning herds / Nor penny-graſs, nor ſpearwort's poiſ'nous leaf."
• "I had picked a mushroom so poisonous that particles of it, stuck to my fingers and accidentally swallowed, could have made me deathly ill, and a piece the size of my thumb could have killed me."