poison
    n 1: any substance that causes injury or illness or death of a
         living organism [syn: poison, toxicant, poisonous
         substance]
    2: anything that harms or destroys; "the poison of fascism"
    v 1: spoil as if by poison; "poison someone's mind"; "poison the
         atmosphere in the office"
    2: kill with poison; "She poisoned her husband"
    3: add poison to; "Her husband poisoned her drink in order to
       kill her" [syn: poison, envenom]
    4: kill by its poison; "This mushrooms can poison"
    5: administer poison to; "She poisoned her husband but he did
       not die"

Poison \Poi"son\, n. [F. poison, in Old French also, a potion,
   fr. L. potio a drink, draught, potion, a poisonous draught,
   fr. potare to drink. See Potable, and cf. Potion.]
   1. Any agent which, when introduced into the animal organism,
      is capable of producing a morbid, noxious, or deadly
      effect upon it; as, morphine is a deadly poison; the
      poison of pestilential diseases.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as,
      the poison of evil example; the poison of sin.
      [1913 Webster]

   Poison ash. (Bot.)
      (a) A tree of the genus Amyris (Amyris balsamifera)
          found in the West Indies, from the trunk of which a
          black liquor distills, supposed to have poisonous
          qualities.
      (b) The poison sumac (Rhus venenata). [U. S.]

   Poison dogwood (Bot.), poison sumac.

   Poison fang (Zool.), one of the superior maxillary teeth of
      some species of serpents, which, besides having the cavity
      for the pulp, is either perforated or grooved by a
      longitudinal canal, at the lower end of which the duct of
      the poison gland terminates. See Illust. under Fang.

   Poison gland (Biol.), a gland, in animals or plants, which
      secretes an acrid or venomous matter, that is conveyed
      along an organ capable of inflicting a wound.

   Poison hemlock (Bot.), a poisonous umbelliferous plant
      (Conium maculatum). See Hemlock.

   Poison ivy (Bot.), a poisonous climbing plant (formerly
      Rhus Toxicodendron, or Rhus radicans, now classified
      as Toxicodendron radicans) of North America. It is
      common as a climbing vine, especially found on tree
      trunks, or walls, or as a low, spreading vine or as a
      shrub. As a low vine it grows well in lightly shaded
      areas, recognizable by growing in clusters of three
      leaves. Its leaves are trifoliate, rhombic-ovate, and
      variously notched. Its form varies slightly from location
      to location, leading to some speculation that it may
      consist of more than one species. Many people are poisoned
      by it, though some appear resistant to its effects.
      Touching the leaves may leave a residue of an oil on the
      skin, and if not washed off quickly, sensitive areas of
      skin become reddened and develop multiple small blisters,
      lasting for several days to several weeks, and causing a
      persistent itch. The toxic reaction is due to an oil,
      present in all parts of the plant except the pollen,
      called urushiol, the active component of which is the
      compound pentadecylacatechol (according to [a

      href="http:]/www.jaxmed.com/articles/Diseases/poison_ivy_dermatitis.htm">Charles
      H. Booras). See Poison sumac. It is related to poison
      oak, and is also called mercury.

   Poison nut. (Bot.)
      (a) Nux vomica.
      (b) The tree which yields this seed (Strychnos
          Nuxvomica). It is found on the Malabar and Coromandel
          coasts.

   Poison oak (Bot.), a dermatitis-producing plant often
      lumped together with the poison ivy (Toxicodendron
      radicans) in common terminology, but more properly
      distinguished as the more shrubby Toxicodendron
      quercifolium (syn. Toxicodendron diversilobum), common
      in California and Oregon. Opinion varies as to whether the
      poison oak and poison ivy are only variants of a single
      species. See poison ivy, above.

   Poison sac. (Zool.) Same as Poison gland, above. See
      Illust. under Fang.

   Poison sumac (Bot.), a poisonous shrub formerly considered
      to be of the genus Rhus (Rhus venenata), but now
      classified as Toxicodendron vernix; -- also called
      poison ash, poison dogwood, and poison elder. It has
      pinnate leaves on graceful and slender common petioles,
      and usually grows in swampy places. Both this plant and
      the poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans, formerly Rhus
      Toxicodendron) have clusters of smooth greenish white
      berries, while the red-fruited species of this genus are
      harmless. The tree (Rhus vernicifera) which yields the
      celebrated Japan lacquer is almost identical with the
      poison sumac, and is also very poisonous. The juice of the
      poison sumac also forms a lacquer similar to that of
      Japan.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   Syn: Venom; virus; bane; pest; malignity.

   Usage: Poison, Venom. Poison usually denotes something
          received into the system by the mouth, breath, etc.
          Venom is something discharged from animals and
          received by means of a wound, as by the bite or sting
          of serpents, scorpions, etc. Hence, venom specifically
          implies some malignity of nature or purpose.
          [1913 Webster]

Poison \Poi"son\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Poisoned; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Poisoning.] [Cf. OF. poisonner, F. empoissoner, L.
   potionare to give to drink. See Poison, n.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To put poison upon or into; to infect with poison; as, to
      poison an arrow; to poison food or drink. "The ingredients
      of our poisoned chalice." --Shak.
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   2. To injure or kill by poison; to administer poison to.
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            If you poison us, do we not die ?     --Shak.
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   3. To taint; to corrupt; to vitiate; as, vice poisons
      happiness; slander poisoned his mind.
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            Whispering tongues can poison truth.  --Coleridge.
      [1913 Webster]

Poison \Poi"son\, v. i.
   To act as, or convey, a poison.
   [1913 Webster]

         Tooth that poisons if it bite.           --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

Poison
   (1.) Heb. hemah, "heat," the poison of certain venomous reptiles
   (Deut. 32:24, 33; Job 6:4; Ps. 58:4), causing inflammation.
   
     (2.) Heb. rosh, "a head," a poisonous plant (Deut. 29:18),
   growing luxuriantly (Hos. 10:4), of a bitter taste (Ps. 69:21;
   Lam. 3:5), and coupled with wormwood; probably the poppy. This
   word is rendered "gall", q.v., (Deut. 29:18; 32:33; Ps. 69:21;
   Jer. 8:14, etc.), "hemlock" (Hos. 10:4; Amos 6:12), and "poison"
   (Job 20:16), "the poison of asps," showing that the _rosh_ was
   not exclusively a vegetable poison.
   
     (3.) In Rom. 3:13 (comp. Job 20:16; Ps. 140:3), James 3:8, as
   the rendering of the Greek ios.
   

POISON, crim. law. Those substances which, when applied to the organs of the 
body, are capable of altering or destroying, in a majority of cases, some or 
all of the functions necessary to life, are called poisons. 3 Fodere, Traite 
de Med. Leg. 449; Guy, Med. Jur. 520. 
     2. When administered with a felonious intent of committing, murder, if. 
death ensues, it is murder the most detestable, because it can of all 
others, be least prevented by manhood or forethought. It is a deliberate act 
necessarily implying malice. 1 Russ. Cr. 429. For the signs which indicate 
poisoning, vide 2 Beck's Med. Jurisp. ch. 16, p. 236, et seq.; Cooper's Med. 
Jurisp. 47; Ryan's Med. Jurisp. ch. 15, p. 202, et seq.; Traill, Med. Jur. 
109.