toxicology
noun
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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
Ethan Wolin
august 8, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Chelsey Redmon-Zellers will serve 15 years in the Alabama Department of Corrections after a toxicology report found illicit substances in her stillborn baby’s bloodstream, the 12th Circuit District Attorney’s Office for Coffee and Pike County said in an Aug. 8 news release.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025
The article goes on to say lessons from the field of environmental toxicology raise flags about cancer and reproductive issues.
—Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 24 July 2025
Most snake bites in Colorado happen from May to October, after which cold temperatures push rattlesnakes to curl up and reduce their activity, said Dr. Kennon Heard, a professor of medical toxicology and pharmacology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 26 June 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 21 Aug. 2025.
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toxicology
noun
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