Word Study
toxic
CIDE DICTIONARY
toxic, a. [L. toxicum poison, originally, a poison in which arrows were dipped, Gr. toxiko`n (sc. ) poison for smearing arrows with, fr. toxiko`s of or for the bow, from to`xon bow, arrow. Cf. Intoxicate.].
Of or pertaining to poison; poisonous; as, toxic medicines. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
toxic, adj.
1 of or relating to poison (toxic symptoms).
2 poisonous (toxic gas).
3 caused by poison (toxic anaemia).
1 of or relating to poison (toxic symptoms).
2 poisonous (toxic gas).
3 caused by poison (toxic anaemia).
Derivative
toxically adv. toxicity n.
Etymology
med.L toxicus poisoned f. L toxicum f. Gk toxikon (pharmakon) (poison for) arrows f. toxon bow, toxa arrows
THESAURUS
toxic
baleful, baneful, catching, communicable, contagious, corroding, corrosive, corrupting, corruptive, counterproductive, damaging, deadly, deleterious, destructive, detrimental, disadvantageous, disserviceable, distressing, envenomed, harmful, hurtful, infectious, infective, injurious, lethal, malefic, malevolent, malign, malignant, mephitic, miasmal, miasmatic, miasmic, mischievous, noisome, noxious, ominous, pernicious, pestiferous, pestilential, poison, poisonous, prejudicial, scatheful, toxicant, toxiferous, venenate, veneniferous, venenous, venomous, vicious, virulentROGET THESAURUS
toxic
Insalubrity
N insalubrity, unhealthiness, nonnaturals, plague spot, malaria, death in the pot, contagion, toxicity, insalubrious, unhealthy, unwholesome, noxious, noisome, morbific, morbiferous, mephitic, septic, azotic, deleterious, pestilent, pestiferous, pestilential, virulent, venomous, envenomed, poisonous, toxic, toxiferous, teratogenic, narcotic, contagious, infectious, catching, taking, epidemic, zymotic, epizootic, innutritious, indigestible, ungenial, uncongenial, deadly.For further exploring for "toxic" in Webster Dictionary Online