toxicity
noun
David S. CloudRudy M. Baum and Ron DaganiConnie SchultzDahlia Lithwick
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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
Elizabeth Denton, Allure, 28 Jan. 2025
Early symptoms of toxicity include low blood pressure, nausea, and fatigue.
—Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 23 Jan. 2025
After owner Jack Kent Cooke’s death in 1997, longtime fan Daniel Snyder bought the team, beginning a period of frustration and disappointment that eventually metastasized into toxicity on such a level that Congress got involved.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
Teach children how to deal with toxicity Ensure that your child knows how to deal with harassment, says Sean O'Neill, a Licensed Family Therapist and clinical director at Maple Moon Recovery.
—Mia Taylor, Parents, 16 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near toxicity
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“Toxicity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicity. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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toxicity
noun
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