Lethal

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: le=thal

CIDE DICTIONARY

Lethal, n. [Lauric + ether + alcohol.].

 One of the higher alcohols of the paraffine series obtained from spermaceti as a white crystalline solid. It is so called because it occurs in the ethereal salt of lauric acid.  [1913 Webster]

Lethal, a. [L. lethalis, letalis, fr. lethum, letum, death: cf. F. léthal.].

 Deadly; mortal; fatal.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Lethal, adj. causing or sufficient to cause death.

Idiom

lethal chamber a chamber in which animals may be killed painlessly with gas. lethal dose the amount of a toxic compound or drug that causes death in humans or animals.

Derivative

lethality n. lethally adv.

Etymology

L let(h)alis f. letum death

THESAURUS

Lethal

baleful, baneful, brutal, corroding, corrosive, corrupting, corruptive, counterproductive, damaging, deadly, death-bringing, deathful, deathly, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, disadvantageous, disserviceable, distressing, fatal, feral, harmful, hurtful, injurious, internecine, killing, malefic, malevolent, malign, malignant, mischievous, mortal, noisome, noxious, ominous, pernicious, pestilent, pestilential, poisonous, prejudicial, savage, scatheful, toxic, venenate, veneniferous, venenous, venomous, vicious, virulent

ROGET THESAURUS

Lethal

Killing

N killing, homicide, manslaughter, murder, assassination, trucidation, iccusion, effusion of blood, blood, blood shed, gore, slaughter, carnage, butchery, battue, massacre, fusillade, noyade, thuggery, Thuggism, deathblow, finishing stroke, coup de grace, quietus, execution, judicial murder, martyrdom, butcher, slayer, murderer, Cain, assassin, terrorist, cutthroat, garroter, bravo, Thug, Moloch, matador, sabreur, guet-a-pens, gallows, executioner, man-eater, apache, hatchet man, highbinder, regicide, parricide, matricide, fratricide, infanticide, feticide, foeticide, uxoricide, vaticide, suicide, felo de se, hara-kiri, suttee, Juggernath, immolation, auto da fe, holocaust, suffocation, strangulation, garrote, hanging, lapidation, deadly weapon, Aceldama, slaughtering, phthisozoics, sport, sporting, the chase, venery, hunting, coursing, shooting, fishing, pig- sticking, sportsman, huntsman, fisherman, hunter, Nimrod, slaughterhouse, meat packing plant, shambles, abattoir, fatal accident, violent death, casualty, killing, murderous, slaughterous, sanguinary, sanguinolent, blood stained, blood thirsty, homicidal, red handed, bloody, bloody minded, ensanguined, gory, thuggish, mortal, fatal, lethal, dead, deadly, mortiferous, lethiferous, unhealthy internecine, suicidal, sporting, piscatorial, piscatory, in at the death, assassination has never changed the history of the.