venomous

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English venimous, also venemous,^[2][3][4] borrowed from Anglo-Norman venimus,^[5][6][2] corresponding to Old French venimos and venimeus,^[7][3][2] modern venimeux.^[7][5] The French adjective is formed from venim (“poison”), the source of venom,^[7][3][8] with the suffix of -ous,^[3][4] after Late Latin venēnōsus, from venēnum (“poison”).^[5][9] The Anglo-Norman adjective is recorded from the late 12th century, meaning poisonous, poisoned and full of hatred.^[6] Klein contrasts the learned vénéneux, taken directly from the Latin.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Morally or spiritually harmful: about 1290, in the South English Legendary.^[5][7] The literal sense, containing or full of poison, follows about 1330 in Robert Mannyng's chronicle.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The earliest records are figurative, and the literal senses follow within a few decades:^[7][5] "poisonous" about 1330, and of animals, especially snakes, "able to inject venom by a bite or sting" before 1387, in Trevisa.^[5][7] The word was applied to the Devil in 1340, and slightly earlier to anything spiteful or malignant, in Richard Rolle's Psalter;^[5] of persons and their character it is recorded from before 1400.^[5][7] Chaucer used it five times.^[10] Several senses have died out: "of a wound, festering, foul with poison" (1398–1774), "envenomed, poisoned" (before 1400–1631) and "harmful to something", which Johnson illustrated from Shakespeare's Coriolanus.^[5][9][11] Johnson gave the two senses "poisonous" and "malignant, mischievous".^[11]

Timeline

• c. 1290 – figurative, morally or spiritually harmful (obsolete by 1610).^[5]
• c. 1330 – containing or full of poison.^[5]
• before 1340 – figurative, spiteful, malignant.^[5]
• 1340 – figurative, of the Devil.^[5]
• before 1387 – of animals, secreting venom and able to inject it.^[5][7]
• 1398 – of a wound, festering, foul with poison (obsolete by 1774).^[5][9]
• before 1400 – of persons, malicious, full of hate.^[5][7]
• 1567 – of a bite or sting.^[5]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of an animal, producing venom and able to inject it by a bite or sting: a venomous spider.^{[12][3][13][5]}
2. Containing venom; poisonous.^{[12][3][5][9]}
3. Full of malice; spiteful or malignant: She wrote a venomous review of the play.^{[12][3][13][5]}
4. Harmful or destructive.^[12][3]
5. (obsolete, 1398–1774) Of a wound, septic or festering.^[5][9]
6. (obsolete, before 1400–1631) Poisoned; envenomed.^[5][9]

Word family

• venomously
• venomousness
• unvenomous

Related words

• envenom
• envenomation
• venom
• venin
• venenous
• poisonous

Usage notes

Biologists keep a distinction that general use has lost: venomous is said of creatures that inject toxins by biting or stinging, poisonous of those that are harmful when eaten.^[7]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b c Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND2), Aberystwyth University, anglo-norman.net (2nd ed., 2005–)
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b c d e f Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
10. ^ Benson, Larry D., Glossarial Concordance to Middle English (Chaucer, Gower), Johns Hopkins University, github.com/jhu-digital-manuscripts/gcme
11. ^ a b Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
12. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
13. ^ a b Soanes, Catherine; Stevenson, Angus, eds. (2004), Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press