neurotoxin
noun
Did you know?
The nervous system is almost all-powerful in the body: all five senses depend on it, as do breathing, digestion, and the heart. So it's an obvious target for poisons, and neurotoxins have developed as weapons in many animals, including snakes, bees, and spiders. Some wasps use a neurotoxin to paralyze their prey so that it can be stored alive to be eaten later. Snake venom is often neurotoxic (as in cobras and coral snakes, for example), though it may instead be hemotoxic (as in rattlesnakes and coppermouths), operating on the circulatory system. Artificial neurotoxins, called nerve agents, have been developed by scientists as means of chemical warfare; luckily, few have ever been used.
Examples of neurotoxin in a Sentence
Bruce Beehler, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2025
The potent neurotoxin can cause botulism, a rare but serious illness that attacks the nerves, leading to muscle paralysis, breathing difficulty, and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Already there’s criticism about certain actors not looking like themselves, or suffering—as a result of neurotoxin—limited facial expression.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 7 Aug. 2025
Birds often use pet fur to line their nests, exposing their eggs and chicks to these neurotoxins.
—Arlene Blum, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for neurotoxin
Cite this Entry
“Neurotoxin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurotoxin. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
neurotoxin
noun
Share