The Collaborative International Dictionary
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.]
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.
-
That which taints or destroys moral purity or health; as, the poison of evil example; the poison of sin. Poison ash. (Bot.)
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.
-
The poison sumac ( Rhus venenata). [U. S.] Poison dogwood (Bot.), poison sumac. Poison fang (Zo["o]l.), 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. See Poison sumac. It is related to poison oak, and is also called mercury. Poison nut. (Bot.)
Nux vomica.
-
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. (Zo["o]l.) 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.
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.
Sumac \Su"mac\, Sumach \Su"mach\, n. [F. sumac, formerly sumach (cf. Sp. zumaque), fr. Ar. summ[=a]q.] [Written also shumac.]
(Bot.) Any plant of the genus Rhus, shrubs or small trees with usually compound leaves and clusters of small flowers. Some of the species are used in tanning, some in dyeing, and some in medicine. One, the Japanese Rhus vernicifera, yields the celebrated Japan varnish, or lacquer.
-
The powdered leaves, peduncles, and young branches of certain species of the sumac plant, used in tanning and dyeing.
Poison sumac. (Bot.) See under Poison.
Wiktionary
n. A woody shrub or small tree, all parts of which cause irritation to humans; ''Toxicodendron vernix'', formerly (taxlink Rhus vernix species noshow=1).
WordNet
n. dermatitis resulting from contact with a poison sumac plant
smooth American swamp shrub with pinnate leaves and greenish flowers followed by greenish white berries; yields an irritating oil [syn: poison ash, poison dogwood, Toxicodendron vernix, Rhus vernix]
Usage examples of "poison sumac".
Now it was thick with weeds and poison sumac, rows of dead trees lining either side, their claw like branches reaching into the gray sky.
Beyond is an old stake fence overgrown with drifts of kudzu and what might be poison sumac.
The vegetation changed from pine and manzanita to aspen and acacia, with long vinelike tendrils of wild strawberries growing parasitically over the rock face, intermixed with ferns and bottlebrush and poison sumac.
Mrs Thompson's house was one of those dark, rambling old Connecticut houses that stand away from the road, overhung by pin oaks and poison sumac bushes, its grounds black and muddy but overgrown with unnaturally green grass.
She looked for the shiny leaves that meant poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, and didn't see any .
Bobby had heard his older brothers saying that the Indians obtained immunity from poison ivy and poison sumac by chewing the leaves.
A forest fire burned oaks and maples, but toadstools and poison sumac sprang up where they'd stood.
No one had ever found an economic reason for clearing away the miles of rubble, and now the scarred earth and ruined buildings were covered with tall grass, poison sumac, tangled scrub growth, and scattered thickets of trees which might merge to form a forest in another generation or two.