poison ivy

noun

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Examples: poison ivy in a Sentence

Definition of poison ivy

1 a : 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

See poison ivy defined for English-language learners

See poison ivy defined for kids

Examples of poison ivy in a Sentence

I got poison ivy all over my arm.

Recent Examples of poison ivy from the Web

Higher on residents’ lists were poison ivy near a playground and a missing stop sign.

— peter hermann, Washington Post, "‘When is it going to stop?’ A rise in homicides in the District brings grief and frustration," 29 May 2018
Mary Boncek, Dacula A: Goats enjoy poison ivy foliage very much.

— walter reeves, ajc, "Orchid needs correct light to bloom," 20 June 2018
Frumkin said ragweed and poison ivy trigger more powerful allergic reactions with higher carbon dioxide levels.

— Washington Post, "Looking for signs of global warming? It’s all around you," 19 June 2018
Frumkin said ragweed and poison ivy trigger more powerful allergic reactions with higher carbon dioxide levels.

— seth borenstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Looking for signs of global warming? They’re all around you," 19 June 2018
Frumkin said ragweed and poison ivy trigger more powerful allergic reactions with higher carbon dioxide levels.

— kelsey ryan, kansascity, "Are your allergies getting worse? Climate change may be to blame," 19 June 2018
After months of trudging through swamps and dense underbrush, grappling with misleading claims—to say nothing of ticks, mosquitoes and poison ivy—the author might be forgiven his confusion.

— a. roger ekirch, WSJ, "‘The Secret Token’ Review: America’s First Unsolved Mystery," 17 June 2018
How to Identify Poison Ivy Advertisement Congaree National Park Ranger David Shelley gives three easy ways to identify poison ivy.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Invasive plant found in Virginia: It 'makes poison ivy look like a walk in the park'," 15 June 2018
From poison ivy to venomous snakes and spiders, Fisher's four kids learned it all.

— jennifer earl, Fox News, "Mom warns of copperhead snakes after toddler is seriously injured by venomous serpent," 7 June 2018

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.

Illustration of poison ivy

First Known Use of poison ivy

1782

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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POISON IVY Defined for English Language Learners

poison ivy

noun

Definition of poison ivy for English Language Learners

: a common plant in the central and eastern U.S. that has leaves which cause a very itchy and painful rash on your skin if you touch them
: the rash that is caused by poison ivy

POISON IVY Defined for Kids

poison ivy

noun

Definition of poison ivy for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

poison ivy

noun \ -ˈī-vē \

medical Definition of poison ivy

1 a : 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 1b

2 : a skin rash produced by poison ivy