Words / B2

POYZN/ˈpɔɪzn/

Poison is a substance that can kill or harm if you eat, drink, or absorb it; as a verb, to put that in, or to spoil: rat poison; poison the debate. Toxin is more technical; venom is from a bite or sting. Name the poison in the case study. Mix-up: poisonous (adjective); prisoner. Do not write poison for “I disliked the film” without harm or spoiling.

Meaning

A substance that can kill or harm if you eat, drink, or absorb it; also to put that in (verb).

Examples

• “Name the poison in the case study, not a metaphor for “a bad idea”.”
• “Misinformation can poison trust, which is the spoil sense in the media paper.”

Good to know

a poison; poison + object; rat poison. Adjective: poisonous. Close: toxin / venom. Trap: casual dislike. Biology, history, and media. A harmful substance, or to spoil.

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