Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “toxic” come from?

Toxic comes from French toxique, from Latin toxicus, from Ancient Greek τοξικός, meaning "of or for arrows," derived from τόξον meaning "bow."

toxic (English): Having a chemical nature that is harmful to...

Definitions

  1. Having a chemical nature that is harmful to...

Ancestry of “toxic”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchtoxiquetoxic
2Latintoxicustoxic; poisonous
3Latintoxicuma poison used on the tips of arrows; any poison
4Ancient Greekτοξικόνinflection of τοξικός : ## neuter...
5Ancient Greekτοξικόςof or for the bow; skilled in the use of the bow;...
6Ancient GreekλόγοςThat which is said: word, sentence, speech,...
7Ancient GreekλέγωI put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanleǵ-to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...

Words derived from “toxic”

  • toxicity
  • cytotoxic
  • cytotoxicity
  • nontoxic
  • neurotoxicity
  • hepatotoxicity
  • neurotoxic
  • nephrotoxicity
  • thyrotoxicosis
  • detoxify
  • genotoxic
  • nephrotoxic
  • toxics
  • genotoxicity
  • excitotoxicity
  • tox
  • cardiotoxicity
  • ototoxicity
  • hepatotoxic
  • excitotoxic
  • immunotoxicity
  • toxicosis
  • ototoxic
  • antitoxic
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- →