Etymologically
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toxic

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈtɒk.sɪk/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French toxique and directly borrowed from Late Latin toxicus (“poisoned”),[2][3][4] from Latin toxicum (“poison”), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón), in toxikòn phármakon, poison for arrows,[2][3][5][6] the neuter of τοξικός (toxikós, “of a bow or archery”), from τόξον (tóxon, “bow”).[2][3] The Greek word has been taken as a Scythian loanword, from Iranian taxša-, bow (Watkins), or as Pre-Greek (Beekes).[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Poisonous: 1664, in John Evelyn's Sylva.[2][7][3]

Semantic evolution

Caused by poison, as toxic symptoms, is from 1872;[7] toxic shock syndrome follows.[7] As a noun, a toxic substance, it is from 1890.[7][3][8] Word Origins notes that intoxicate comes from the related toxicum and has been associated with alcohol since the late 16th century.[6] Figurative uses for anything very harmful, such as a toxic relationship, and in finance for an asset likely to cause great loss, are recent.[9]

Timeline

  • 1664 – poisonous, in Evelyn.[2][7]
  • 1872 – caused by poison.[7]
  • 1890 – a toxic substance.[7][3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Poisonous; of or caused by a poison or toxin.
  2. Very harmful or unpleasant in a way that spreads: a toxic atmosphere.
  3. Of a financial asset or debt, likely to cause heavy loss.

Word family

  • toxically
  • toxicity
  • detoxicate
  • antitoxic
  • atoxic
  • cytotoxic
  • embryotoxic
  • fungitoxic
  • toxin
  • intoxicate
  • toxicant
  • toxicology

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  9. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins