Echidism
/ˈɛkɪdɪzəm/noun
Poisoning caused by the venom of an echidna.
Did you know?The echidna’s name ultimately comes from Greek ἔχιδνα, “viper,” which was also the name of a monstrous half-woman, half-snake figure in Greek mythology.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔχιδνα (échidna)
“Viper or poisonous snake; also the mythological serpent-woman Echidna”
Classical Latin
Latin
echidna
“Viper or a serpent-like creature”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Echidna
“Genus name assigned to the spiny egg-laying Australian mammal”
19th Century
English
echidna
“The spiny, egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea”
19th Century
English
echidism
“Poisoning produced by echidna venom”
Modern English
English
echidism
“A rare medical or zoological term for echidna-venom poisoning”
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