poisonwood

noun

poi·​son·​wood ˈpȯi-zᵊn-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce poisonwood (audio)
: a tree (Metopium toxiferum) of the cashew family that is native to Florida and the West Indies and has compound leaves, greenish paniculate flowers, and orange-yellow fruits and produces a severely irritating sap

Examples of poisonwood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most of the fires set didn't harm wildlife or the firefighters who responded, save for some exposure to the irritant-containing shrub poisonwood, Gantt said. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 29 Apr. 2021 A reticulated python swallowed a man whole in Indonesia last month, but python attacks on humans are so rare that Hargrove’s biggest concern while hunting was poisonwood, whose sap causes blistering rashes. Washington Post, 5 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poisonwood was in 1756

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Cite this Entry

“Poisonwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poisonwood. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

poisonwood

noun
poi·​son·​wood ˈpȯiz-ᵊn-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce poisonwood (audio)
: a caustic or poisonous tree of the genus Metopium (M. toxiferum) of Florida and the West Indies that has compound leaves, clusters of greenish flowers, and orange-yellow fruits

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