Medicine & BodyGreek → English
Toxicology
/ˌtɒksɪˈkɒlədʒi/noun
The science of poisons, their effects on living organisms and the treatment of poisoning.
The Greek roots
τοξικόν
toxikón
arrow poison
τόξον
tóxon
bow
λόγος
lógos
study, account
Literally: “study of arrow poison”
The story of the word
Toxikon pharmakon meant the drug smeared on arrowheads, and the bow eventually dropped out of the word, leaving the poison behind. Every modern toxin, toxic and intoxicated therefore descends from archery equipment. The discipline itself was built by Orfila in Paris in the 1810s, who put arsenic testing on a chemical footing.
- How it travelled
- Ancient Greek → Latin → English
- First recorded
- 19th century
Same family
toxintoxicintoxicateantitoxin
In a sentence
The toxicology report came back clean.
She teaches forensic toxicology to police cadets.