Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A poisonous secretion of an animal, such as a snake, spider, or scorpion, usually transmitted to prey or to attackers by a bite or sting.
  • noun Malice; spite.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To envenom; infect with poison.
  • To become as if infected with venom.
  • noun Poison in general: now an archaic use.
  • noun The poisonous fluid secreted by some animals in a state of health, as a means of offense and defense, and introduced into the bodies of their victims by biting, as in the case of many serpents, or stinging, as in the ease of scorpions, etc.
  • noun Something that blights, cankers, or embitters; injurious influence; hence, spite; malice; malignity; virulency.
  • noun Coloring material; dye.
  • Envenomed; venomous; poisonous.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb rare To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison.
  • noun Matter fatal or injurious to life; poison; particularly, the poisonous matter which certain animals, such as serpents, scorpions, bees, etc., secrete in a state of health, and communicate by biting or stinging.
  • noun Spite; malice; malignity; evil quality.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A poison wielded by an animal, usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; atter.
  • noun figuratively Feeling or speech marked by spite or malice.
  • verb To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun toxin secreted by animals; secreted by certain snakes and poisonous insects (e.g., spiders and scorpions)
  • noun feeling a need to see others suffer

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English venim, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *venīmen, from Latin venēnum, poison; see wen- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman, from Old French venim, from Vulgar Latin *venimem, from Latin venenum.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word venom.

Examples

  • Catty - I suspect your venom is a smokescreen hiding your desire for the man.

    Cheeseburger Gothic » A Christmas card from the Playboy Mansion. 2009

  • There was also the huge open not yet built gap in the wall directly behind venom when it detonated which was on the opposite side of the building as the huge crowd watching the final battle. am i the only one to notice this crap? venom is not dead. maybe eddie but not the symbiote. and "venom" doesnt necessarily need to be eddie im spent ruiner on Mar 19, 2009

    Bring On Venom! Sony Moving Forward With Venom Spin-Off! « FirstShowing.net 2008

  • The insect inserts the stinger into the skin and a venom is released into the surrounding tissue.

    Sting Things 2010

  • But whether she got the venom from a snake directly - because then you start to argue, because two of her maids killed themselves, as well.

    The True Story Of 'Antony And Cleopatra' 2010

  • This was accomplished by injecting separate flocks of sheep with venom from the following North American venomous snakes: Crotalus Atrox (Western Diamondback rattlesnake), Crotalus Adamanteus (Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake), Crotalus Scutulalus (Mojave rattlesnake) and Agkistrodon Picvorus (Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin).

    Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab (Ovine) 2010

  • But venom is still venom no matter what kind of pretty packaging you put it in.

    No, Thanks 2009

  • But whether she got the venom from a snake directly - because then you start to argue, because two of her maids killed themselves, as well.

    The True Story Of 'Antony And Cleopatra' 2010

  • But whether she got the venom from a snake directly - because then you start to argue, because two of her maids killed themselves, as well.

    The True Story Of 'Antony And Cleopatra' 2010

  • But whether she got the venom from a snake directly - because then you start to argue, because two of her maids killed themselves, as well.

    The True Story Of 'Antony And Cleopatra' 2010

  • But whether she got the venom from a snake directly - because then you start to argue, because two of her maids killed themselves, as well.

    The True Story Of 'Antony And Cleopatra' 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • "She has shed her skin to become one of the most feared warriors in Gladiator Arena. She stalks her prey with caution and strikes when it is least expected. Any opponent that faces her had better come prepared because there is no known antidote for Venom, who is lethal in any dose."

    (Official biography on the NBC American Gladiators website)

    September 6, 2008