Toxicity
/tɒkˈsɪs.ɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being toxic or poisonous.
Did you know?In ancient Rome, the word for poison, 'toxicum', was also linked to the art of archery, suggesting a deadly connection between arrows and toxins!
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*toxikos
“pertaining to poison or arrows, suggesting a lethal quality.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
τοξικός (toxikos)
“of or for archers, deadly, relating to poison.”
Latin
Latin
toxicum
“a poison or toxic substance.”
Middle English
Middle English
toxik
“relating to poison, used in a medical context.”
Early Modern English
Early Modern English
toxicity
“the state of being toxic or poisonous, emerging in scientific discourse.”
Modern English
English
toxicity
“the quality of being toxic, widely used in medical and environmental contexts.”
Explore more surprising origins