poison ivy

noun

Definition of poison ivy

1a : a climbing plant (Toxicodendron radicans synonym Rhus radicans) of the cashew family that is especially common in the eastern and central U.S., that has ternate leaves, greenish flowers, and white berries, and that produces an irritating oil causing a usually intensely itching skin rash

b : any of several plants closely related to poison ivy

2 : a skin rash caused by poison ivy

Examples of poison ivy in a Sentence

I got poison ivy all over my arm.

Recent Examples on the Web Poison oak leaves are more rounded and irregular looking compared to poison ivy. — Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 22 June 2022 Your costume can be made up of green shorts, a green corset or top, poison ivy tights and even a green wig! — Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 12 May 2022 This comes down to an overreaction by the immune system to a particular substance like poison ivy or a fragrance in shampoo or soap, Dr. Stevenson explains. — Claire Gillespie, SELF, 23 Mar. 2022 Adventurers must be able to hike without assistance in rugged terrain, steep grades, slippery stream bottoms and encounter downed trees, poison ivy and stream crossings. — cleveland, 21 Mar. 2022 This multi-use product is great to have on hand in the summertime for treating everything from bug bites to poison ivy. — Susan Brickell, Health.com, 17 May 2021 The moth caterpillars have poisonous hairs that can cause respiratory trouble and a rash that resembles poison ivy. — Fox News, 7 Feb. 2022 Companies that specialize in removing poison ivy also sometimes take on the work of removing English ivy. — Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2021 But poison ivy, also a native plant, has three leaflets instead of five. — Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'poison ivy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near poison ivy

poison hemlock

poison ivy

poison milkweed

Statistics for poison ivy

Last Updated

25 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Poison ivy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison%20ivy. Accessed 26 Jun. 2022.

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More Definitions for poison ivy

poison ivy

noun

Kids Definition of poison ivy

1 : a usually climbing plant that has leaves with three leaflets and can cause an itchy painful rash when touched

2 : a skin rash caused by poison ivy

poison ivy

noun

\ -ˈī-vē

Medical Definition of poison ivy

1a : a climbing plant of the genus Rhus (R. radicans synonym Toxicodendron radicans) that is especially common in the eastern and central United States, that has leaves in groups of three, greenish flowers, and white berries, and that produces an acutely irritating oil causing a usually intensely itching skin rash

b : any of several plants closely related to poison ivy especially : poison oak sense 1b

2 : a skin rash produced by poison ivy