toxic: [17] The etymological meaning underlying toxic is of ‘poisoned arrows’. Its ultimate source is Greek tóxon ‘bow’, which also gave English toxophily ‘archery’ [19]. From it was derived toxikós ‘of bows and arrows’, which formed the basis of a noun toxikón ‘poison for putting on arrows’. Latin took this over as toxicum ‘poison’, and the medieval Latin derivative toxicus gave English toxic. => toxophily
1660s, from French toxique and directly from Late Latin toxicus "poisoned," from Latin toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) "(poison) for use on arrows," from toxikon, neuter of toxikos "pertaining to arrows or archery," and thus to a bow, from toxon "bow," probably from a Scythian word that also was borrowed into Latin as taxus "yew." Watkins suggests a possible source in Iranian taxša- "bow," from PIE *tekw- "to run, flee." As a noun from 1890.
双语例句
1. Nuclear weapons plants across the country are heavily contaminated with toxic wastes.
全国的核武器工厂均受到了有毒废弃物的严重污染。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Lead can accumulate in the body until toxic levels are reached.
铅会在体内积聚直至造成铅中毒。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Toxic waste could endanger lives and poison fish.
有毒废物可能危及生命，毒死鱼类。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Toxicologists attempt to identify and understand toxic hazards.
