venomous

English
WOTD – 17 January 2024

Etymology
The venomous (sense 1) Indian cobra (Naja naja) is one of the four species of snake responsible for the most snakebite cases in India.

From Middle English venymous, from Old French venimos, composed of venim (“venom”) +‎ -os (adjective-forming suffix). Synchronically analysable as venom +‎ -ous. Compare Modern French venimeux.[1]

Pronunciation

Adjective

venomous (comparative more venomous, superlative most venomous)

  1. Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting venom.
    Synonym: (archaic) venenous
    Antonyms: non-venomous, venomless, unvenomous
    Do venomous spiders have glands?
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 9, page 425:
      For that beaſtes teeth, vvhich vvounded you tofore, / Are ſo exceeding venemous and keene, / Made all of ruſty yron, ranckling ſore, / That vvhen they bite, it booteth not to vveene / VVith ſalue, or antidote, or other mene / It euer to amend: […]
    • c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 367:
      Haſt thou the pretty vvorme of Nylus [an asp] there, / That killes and paines not? / […] / Come thou mortal vvretch, / VVith thy ſharpe teeth this knot intrinſicate, / Of life at once vntye: Poore venomous Foole, / Be angry, and diſpatch.
    • 1653, Iz[aak] Wa[lton], chapter VII, in The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, […], London: […] T. Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, […], →OCLC; reprinted as The Compleat Angler (Homo Ludens; 6), Nieuwkoop, South Holland, Netherlands: Miland Publishers, 1969, →ISBN, page 146:
      [T]he biting of a Pike is venemous and hard to be cured.
    • 1713, W[illiam] Derham, “[A Survey of the Terraqueous Globe.] The Great Variety and Quantity of All Things upon, and in the Terraqueous Globe, Provided for the Uses of the World.”, in Physico-Theology: Or, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God, from His Works of Creation. […], London: […] W[illiam] Innys, […], →OCLC, book II (Of the Terraqueous Globe It Self, in General), footnote 4, pages 56–57:
      [M]any, if not moſt of our European venemous Animals carry their Cure, as vvell as Poiſon in their ovvn Bodies. The Oil, and I doubt not, the Body of Scorpions too, is a certain Remedy againſt its Stroke.
    • 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of the Salamander”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 129:
      VVith reſpect to the Salamander, the vvhole tribe, from the Moron to the Gekko, are ſaid to be venomous to the laſt degree; yet, vvhen experiments have been tried, no arts, no provocations, could excite theſe animals to the rage of biting.
    • 1876, [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], “At His Door”, in Joshua Haggard’s Daughter […], volume III, London: John Maxwell and Co. […], →OCLC, pages 180–181:
      Yet the darling sin is there in our heart of hearts; we hug it close—we hide it from every human eye. But in the still night-watches it comes forth like a serpent out of his hole, and rears its venomous crest, and stings us with the horror of our guilt.
  2. Of or pertaining to venom.
    • 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of the Salamander”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 129:
      [A]s the teeth [of the salamander] are thus incapable of offending, the people of the countries vvhere they are found have recourſe to a venomous ſlaver, vvhich, they ſuppoſe, iſſues from the animal's mouth; they alſo tell us of a venom iſſuing from the clavvs: […]
    • 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Venomous Serpents in General”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 179:
      [T]he glands [of a snake] that ſerve to fabricate this venomous fluid are ſituated on each ſide of the head behind the eyes, and have their canals leading from thence to the bottom of the fangs in the upper javv, vvhere they empty into a kind of bladder, from vvhence the fangs on each ſide are ſeen to grovv.
    • 1826, Mary Russell Mitford, “Doctor Tubb”, in Our Village: Sketches of Rural Character and Scenery, volume II, London: Geo[rge] B[yrom] Whittaker, […], →OCLC, page 187:
      [H]e [the doctor] immediately produced from either pocket a huge bundle of dried herbs (perhaps the identical venomous-smelling spicer), which he gave to Miss Phœbe to make into a decoction secundum artem, and a huge horse-ball, which he proceeded to divide into boluses;— […]
  3. (archaic) Consisting of, or containing or full of, venom or some other poison; hence, harmful to health due to this.
    The villain tricked him into drinking the venomous concoction.
    • 1597, Richard Hooker, “The Misinterpretations, which Heresie hath Made of the Maner how God and Man are United in One Christ”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, book V, page 292:
      [T]hat Confeſſion […] remayneth at this preſent hovver a part of our Churchliturgie, a memoriall of their fidelitie and zeale, a ſoueraigne preſeruatiue of Gods people from the venemous infection of hereſie.
      A figurative use.
    • 1610, William Camden, “Midle-sex”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 432:
      [Edward I of England was] by a certaine Moore vvounded vvith an envenomed ſvvord, and by all the remedies that Phiſitians could deviſe vvas not ſo much eaſed as afflicted: […] ſhe [Eleanor of Castile] day by day licked vvith her tongue, and ſucked out the venemous humor vvhich to her vvas a moſt ſvveet liquor. By the vigour and ſtrength vvhereof, or to ſay more truely, by vertue of a vvives louely fidelity ſhe ſo drevv unto her all the ſubſtance of the poiſon, that the vvounds being cloſed, and cicatrixed, hee became perfectly healed, & ſhe caught no harme at all.
    • 1610, William Camden, “Perthia or Perth Shirifdome”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 42:
      But of men condemned to perpetuall oblivion I may ſeeme to haue ſaid over much, although it concerneth poſterity alſo for a Caveat, that vvicked generations be notified, as vvel as noyſome vveeds, and venemous plants.
    • 1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of those Things that Weaken, or Tend to the Dissolution of a Common-wealth”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of Common-wealth), page 173:
      [W]e may compare this Diſtemper very aptly to an Ague; vvherein, the fleſhy parts being congealed, or by venomous matter obſtructed; […]
    • 1658, Thomas Browne, “To My Worthy and Honored Friend Nicholas Bacon of Gillingham [i.e., Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1st Baronet, of Gillingham] Esquire”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC:
      The Antients venially delighted in flouriſhing Gardens; […] Some commendably affected Plantations of venemous Vegetables, ſome confined their delights unto ſingle plants, and Cato ſeemed to dote upon Cabbadge; […]
    • 1716, I[saac] Watts, “The Distemper, Folly and Madness of Sin”, in Hymns and Spiritual Songs. […], 5th edition, London: […] J. H[umfreys] for M. Lawrence […], →OCLC, book II (Composed on Divine Subjects), stanza 1, page 264:
      Sin like a venomous Diſeaſe / Infects our vital Blood; / The only Balm is Sovereign Grace, / And the Phyſician, God.
    • 1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Venomous Serpents in General”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, page 180:
      [W]hen the ſerpent is irritated to give a venomous vvound, it opens its formidable javvs to the vvideſt extent; […] the fangs that lay before inclining are thus erected; they are ſtruck vvith force into the fleſh of the obnoxious perſon; […]
    • 1817 December (indicated as 1818), Percy B[ysshe] Shelley, “Canto Tenth”, in Laon and Cythna; or, The Revolution of the Golden City: A Vision of the Nineteenth Century. […], London: […] [F]or Sherwood, Neely, & Jones, […]; and C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier, […]; by B. M‘Millan, […], →OCLC, stanza XXXVIII, page 231:
      Pile high the pyre of expiation now! / A forest's spoil of boughs, and on the heap / Pour venomous gums, which sullenly and slow, / When touched by flame, shall burn, and melt, and flow, / A stream of clinging fire,— […]
  4. (figurative)
    1. Posing a threat; dangerous, threatening.
    2. Hateful; malignant; spiteful.
      Synonyms: embittered, envenomed, poisonous, rancorous, toxic, virulent
      His attitude toward me is utterly venomous.
  5. (obsolete)
    1. Of a weapon such as an arrow or dart: dosed with venom or poison; envenomed, poisoned.
    2. (figurative) Harmful, hurtful, injurious; specifically, morally or spiritually harmful; evil, noxious, pernicious.
      • 1580, John Lyly, “Euphues and His England”, in Euphues and His England. […], London: […] Thomas East, for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC; republished in Edward Arber, editor, Euphues. The Anatomy of Wit. […] Euphues and His England. […], London: Alex[ander] Murray & Son, […], 1 October 1868, →OCLC, page 414:
        […] I will at large proue, that there is nothinge in loue more venemous then meeting, which filleth the minde with grief and the body with deſeaſes: […]
      • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 20, column 1:
        Thy teares are ſalter than a yonger mans, / And venomous to thine eyes.
      • 1610, William Camden, “Yorke-shire”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 707:
        […] King VVilliam the firſt built a faire Abbay in memorie of Saint German, vvho happily confuted that venemous Pelagian hæreſie, vvhich often times (as the ſerpent Hydra) grevv to an head againe in Britaine.

Usage notes

Where sense 1 is concerned some speakers, especially in technical contexts, make a distinction between poisonous (releasing toxins when eaten), and venomous (releasing toxins (known as venom in this case) by biting or stinging a target).

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations
posing a threat — see dangerous,‎ threatening
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

References
  1. “venomous, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2023; “venomous, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading
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