toxinnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈtɒk.sɪn/us/ˈtɑːk.sɪn/a poisonous substance, especially one produced by bacteria, that causes disease
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Bacteria, moulds, germs & viruses
- adenovirus
- antimicrobial
- bacteriology
- bacteriophage
- C. difficile
- E. coli
- fungal
- fungoid
- fungus
- HIV-positive
- listeria
- microbe
- microorganism
- mould
- organism
- probiotic
- shitake mushroom
- taenia
- West Nile virus
- yeast
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Poisoning and allergy
Examples from literature
- A poison that exists naturally in an insect or animal, and which is often introduced into the victim by biting or stinging, is known as a venom, while one in a plant is generally known as a toxin.
- Plant toxins range from those that simply bother the skin to those that cause pain or death when eaten.
- Until the advance of the science of chemistry in the 19th century, most poisons used by humans were either venoms or toxins.