toxicology

noun

tox·​i·​col·​o·​gy ˌtäk-si-ˈkä-lə-jē How to pronounce toxicology (audio)
: a science that deals with poisons and their effect and with the problems involved (such as clinical, industrial, or legal problems)
toxicologist 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

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Investigators say Erdman drank alcohol less than an hour before the crash, and toxicology results showed his blood alcohol content was more than twice over the legal limit, said FWC spokeswoman Arielle Callender. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 June 2025 According to the Los Angeles County Medical-Examiner’s autopsy and toxicology reports, Rivera was 6 feet tall, 288 pounds and was under the influence of opiates when he was killed. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 University centers are bracing to lose their funding, which could sever the pipeline of scientists and physicians who specialize in occupational health and environmental toxicology. Will Stone, NPR, 2 May 2025 The toxicology report showed that Brown had fentanyl, oxycodone and THC in his system, the report said. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for toxicology

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toxicology was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Toxicology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicology. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

toxicology

noun
tox·​i·​col·​o·​gy -ˈkäl-ə-jē How to pronounce toxicology (audio)
plural toxicologies
: the scientific study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on the living organism

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