toxicology
noun
Did you know?
Even though most of us are aware of toxicology primarily from crime shows on TV, toxicologists actually do most of their work in other fields. Many are employed by drug companies, others by chemical companies. Many work for the government, making sure the public is being kept safe from environmental poisons in the water, soil, and air, as well as unhealthy substances in our food and drugs. These issues often have to do with quantity; questions about how much of some substance should be considered dangerous, whether in the air or in a soft drink, may be left to toxicologists. But occasionally a toxicology task may be more exciting: for instance, discovering that what looked like an ordinary heart attack was actually brought on by a hypodermic injection of a paralyzing muscle relaxant.
Examples of toxicology in a Sentence
Pam Defiglio, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
Without law enforcement involvement, per a provider’s discretion, a patient may have a toxicology screening panel, testing for the most common drugs.
—Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Sep. 2025
New evidence emerged, including confirmation from a witness who identified the suspect as the driver in the fatal crash and validation of toxicology results from the time of the crash, according to Menendez Abdala’s new arrest warrant.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
According to toxicology reports released after his death, the X Factor alum had multiple substances in his system and a dangerously high blood-alcohol level at the time of the incident.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toxicology
Cite this Entry
“Toxicology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicology. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
toxicology
noun
Share