Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “venom” come from?

Venom comes from Middle English venum, from Old French venim, from Latin venenum, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European wenh₁-.

venom (English): A poison carried by an animal, usually injected...

Definitions

  1. A poison carried by an animal, usually injected...

Ancestry of “venom”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishvenymA toxin, poison or venom that originates from an...
2Old Frenchvenimvenom
3Vulgar Latinvenimen—
4Latinvenīnum—
5Latinvenēnum—
6Proto-Italicweneznomlust, desire
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwenh₁-to love

Words derived from “venom”

  • antivenom
  • venomed
  • envenomate
  • venomless
  • unvenomed
  • venomosalivary
  • venomsome
  • venomlike
  • invenom
  • outvenom
  • venomization
  • antivenomics
  • venomics
  • venomer
  • venomoid
  • veneno
  • venenagar
  • venenizar
  • venenoza
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wenh₁- →