Where does “poison taster” come from?

poison taster (English) comes from English taster, from English taste, from Middle English tasten, from Old French taster, from Vulgar Latin tastare, from Latin taxāre, from Latin Taxus, from Ancient Greek εἶδος — to look at.

Ancestry of “poison taster”, step by step

poison taster traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English taster

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtasterAn object in which, or by which, food or drink is...
2EnglishtasteOne of the sensations produced by the tongue in...
3Middle EnglishtastenTo taste; To partake in or ingest; To examine by...
4Old Frenchtasterto taste; to touch; to hit; to strike
5Vulgar Latintastareto touch, feel; present active infinitive of...
6Latintaxāre
7LatinTaxusyew
8Ancient GreekεἶδοςThat which is seen: form, image, shape;...
9Spanish-scopio-scope
10Latin-scopium
11Ancient GreekσκοπέωI look, look at, behold; I examine, inspect; 413...
12Ancient Greekσκοπόςwatcher, lookout; protector, guardian; spy, scout
13Ancient GreekσκέπτομαιI look at, examine; I examine, consider, think
14Proto-Hellenicsképťomaito look at

via English poison

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpoisonA substance that is harmful or lethal to a living...
2Middle EnglishpoysounA poison; a poisonous substance especially as a drink
3Old Frenchpoisonpoison; potion
4Latinpōtiōdrinking
5Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
6Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
7Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
8Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
9Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
10Latincalceusshoe
11Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
12Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Proto-Hellenic sképťomai