The Collaborative International Dictionary
Venomous \Ven"om*ous\, a. [OE. venemous, venimous, F. venimeux, L. venenosus, fr. venenum poison. See Venom, and cf. Venenose.]
Full of venom; noxious to animal life; poisonous; as, the bite of a serpent may be venomous.
(Zo["o]l.) Having a poison gland or glands for the secretion of venom, as certain serpents and insects.
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Noxious; mischievous; malignant; spiteful; as, a venomous progeny; a venomous writer.
Venomous snake (Zo["o]l.), any serpent which has poison glands and fangs, whether dangerous to man or not. These serpents constitute two tribes, the viperine serpents, or Solenoglypha, and the cobralike serpents, or Proteroglypha. The former have perforated, erectile fangs situated in the front part of the upper jaw, and are without ordinary teeth behind the fangs; the latter have permanently erect and grooved fangs, with ordinary maxillary teeth behind them. [1913 Webster] -- Ven"om*ous*ly, adv. -- Ven"om*ous*ness, n.
Usage examples of "venomousness".
We had taken only a few steps into the deeper vegetation, cutting our way through the gossamer strands, when we were confronted by a new and surprising obstacle to our advance – a large, venomous-looking spider that scurried toward us in an inverted position, clinging with a dozen legs to one of the gossamer strands, which served both as its support and its pathway, and if its appearance was any index to its venomousness it must, indeed, have been a deadly insect.