venēnum
neuter
In Latin, the word for poison is venēnum. Wiktionary also lists toxicum.
Meaning: substance harmful to a living organism (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| venēnum | neuter | |
| toxicum | [ˈtɔk.sɪ.kũː] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈtɔk.si.kum] (narrow) |
neuter |
The term is used to describe a substance harmful to a living organism. Depending on the context, it can refer to a harmful poison, a medicinal potion or even a magical charm or drug.
Which one should you use?
venēnum is a broad, general term that can mean a poison, a drug or a potion. In contrast, toxicum is a more technical term that specifically emphasizes the toxic or poisonous nature of a substance.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The related verb venēnō is the first-person singular present indicative form, meaning "I poison" or "I envenom".
Did you know?
- The Latin word venēnum is a distant relative of the English word 'venom', but it also shares a root with 'Venus', the goddess of love.
- The word venēnum originates from a root meaning 'to weave' or 'to tie', suggesting that poison was viewed as something that entwines or traps the victim.
- The Latin word toxicum is directly linked to the word for 'bow', as it originally referred to the poison smeared on arrowheads.
Examples in context
- Venēnum est in hoc poculo.There is poison in this cup.
- Cave venēnum in silvis.Beware the poison in the forests.
Example conversation
Marcus and Claudia are examining a mysterious bottle in a lab.
- MarcusQuid in hōc vītrō est, Claudia?What is in this glass, Claudia?
- ClaudiaIn vītrō est venēnum.There is poison in the glass.
- MarcusEstne venēnum lētāle?Is the poison lethal?
- ClaudiaIta, Marce, id cautē tractā.Yes, Marcus, handle it with care.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poison” translations and entries toxicum, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries toxicum, CC BY-SA 4.0.
