Where does “poison-ivy” come from?
poison-ivy (English) comes from English poison, from Middle English poysoun, from Old French poison, from Latin pōtiō, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus, from Latin disserere — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
poison-ivy (English): A woody vine plant in the family Anacardiaceae (Toxicodendron radicans or Rhus toxicodendron), well-known for its ability to produce urushiol, a skin irritant that causes an itching rash for most people
Definitions
- A woody vine plant in the family Anacardiaceae (Toxicodendron radicans or Rhus toxicodendron), well-known for its ability to produce urushiol, a skin irritant that causes an itching rash for most people
Ancestry of “poison-ivy”, step by step
poison-ivy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English poison
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | poison | A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living... |
| 2 | Middle English | poysoun | A poison; a poisonous substance especially as a drink |
| 3 | Old French | poison | poison; potion |
| 4 | Latin | pōtiō | drinking |
| 5 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 6 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 7 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 8 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 9 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 10 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 11 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 12 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |