noun
toxin
TOK-sihn
noun
1
A poisonous substance, especially one produced naturally by a living organism such as bacteria, a plant, or an animal.
"The bacteria release a toxin that causes food poisoning."
"Snake venom contains several powerful toxins."
How to Use Toxin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA poison, especially one made naturally by a plant, animal, or microbe.
Common mistake
Strictly, a toxin comes from a living source; a general poisonous chemical is better called a "toxic substance" or "poison," though people often use "toxin" loosely for both.
Common pairings
release a toxin
flush out toxins
bacterial toxin
Word Forms
toxins plural
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The bacteria release a _____ that causes food poisoning.
Etymology
Formed from Latin toxicum ("poison") plus the chemical suffix -in, used for naming specific substances.