poisonwood

noun

poi·​son·​wood ˈpȯi-zᵊn-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce poisonwood (audio)
: a tree (Metopium toxiferum) of the cashew family that is native to Florida and the West Indies and has compound leaves, greenish paniculate flowers, and orange-yellow fruits and produces a severely irritating sap

Examples of poisonwood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most of the fires set didn't harm wildlife or the firefighters who responded, save for some exposure to the irritant-containing shrub poisonwood, Gantt said. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 29 Apr. 2021 A reticulated python swallowed a man whole in Indonesia last month, but python attacks on humans are so rare that Hargrove’s biggest concern while hunting was poisonwood, whose sap causes blistering rashes. Washington Post, 5 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poisonwood was in 1756

Dictionary Entries Near poisonwood

Cite this Entry

“Poisonwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poisonwood. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

poisonwood

noun
poi·​son·​wood ˈpȯiz-ᵊn-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce poisonwood (audio)
: a caustic or poisonous tree of the genus Metopium (M. toxiferum) of Florida and the West Indies that has compound leaves, clusters of greenish flowers, and orange-yellow fruits

More from Merriam-Webster on poisonwood

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!