toxicity
noun
David S. CloudRudy M. Baum and Ron DaganiConnie SchultzDahlia Lithwick
Did you know?
Toxicity is often a relative thing; in the words of a famous old saying, "The dose makes the poison". Thus, it's possible to die from drinking too much water, and lives have been saved by tiny doses of arsenic. Even though botulinum toxin is the most toxic substance known, it's the basic ingredient in Botox, which is injected into the face to get rid of wrinkles. With some poisons, mere skin contact can be lethal; others are lethal when breathed into the lungs in microscopic amounts. To determine if a chemical will be officially called a poison, researchers often use the "LD50" test: If 50 milligrams of the substance for every kilogram of an animal's body weight results in the death of 50% of test animals, the chemical is a poison. But there are problems with such tests, and toxicity remains a very individual concept.
Examples of toxicity in a Sentence
Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024
Acute oral toxicity of capsaicin in mice and rats
Ohio State University.
—Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024
If a patient develops toxicity to 5-FU or capecitabine, and it is recognized immediately, an antidote called uridine triacetate can be administered (at a total cost of >$180,000 USD for medication and care).
—Ellen Matloff, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Symptoms of magnesium toxicity may include nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, and depression.
—Johna Burdeos, Health, 28 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for toxicity 
Dictionary Entries Near toxicity
Cite this Entry
“Toxicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicity. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toxicity
noun
Share