toxic: [17] The etymological meaning underlying toxic is of ‘poisoned arrows’. Its ultimate source is Greek tóxon ‘bow’, which also gave English toxophily ‘a(chǎn)rchery’ [19]. From it was derived toxikós ‘of bows and arrows’, which formed the basis of a noun toxikón ‘poison for putting on arrows’. Latin took this over as toxicum ‘poison’, and the medieval Latin derivative toxicus gave English toxic. => toxophily
toxic (adj.)
1660s, from French toxique and directly from Late Latin toxicus "poisoned," from Latin toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) "(poison) for use on arrows," from toxikon, neuter of toxikos "pertaining to arrows or archery," and thus to a bow, from toxon "bow," probably from a Scythian word that also was borrowed into Latin as taxus "yew." Watkins suggests a possible source in Iranian tax?a- "bow," from PIE *tekw- "to run, flee." As a noun from 1890.
雙語例句
1. Nuclear weapons plants across the country are heavily contaminated with toxic wastes.
全國(guó)的核武器工廠均受到了有毒廢棄物的嚴(yán)重污染。
來自柯林斯例句
2. Lead can accumulate in the body until toxic levels are reached.
鉛會(huì)在體內(nèi)積聚直至造成鉛中毒。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Toxic waste could endanger lives and poison fish.
有毒廢物可能危及生命，毒死魚類。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Toxicologists attempt to identify and understand toxic hazards.