: the quality, state, or relative degree of being poisonous
measuring the toxicity level of the soil
The toxicity of some chemical agents degrades significantly over time, so it is unclear how lethal the stockpiles are. David S. Cloud
Administering a cocktail of drugs would dilute the toxicities of the different drugs and minimize the development of viral resistance to them. Rudy M. Baum and Ron Dagani
b
: an extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful quality
In the past few days, I've tuned in to C-SPAN to watch a number of the televised Senate debates, which illustrate all too vividly the toxicity of an uncivil tongue. Connie Schultz
In much of the ensuing commentary, court watchers worried that the justices' soaring rates of written dissents, nasty and personal attacks and scathing remarks read aloud from the bench bespeak a new toxicity in Supreme Court discourse. Dahlia Lithwick
Did you know?
Toxicity is often a relative thing; in the words of a famous old saying, "The dose makes the poison". Thus, it's possible to die from drinking too much water, and lives have been saved by tiny doses of arsenic. Even though botulinum toxin is the most toxic substance known, it's the basic ingredient in Botox, which is injected into the face to get rid of wrinkles. With some poisons, mere skin contact can be lethal; others are lethal when breathed into the lungs in microscopic amounts. To determine if a chemical will be officially called a poison, researchers often use the "LD50" test: If 50 milligrams of the substance for every kilogram of an animal's body weight results in the death of 50% of test animals, the chemical is a poison. But there are problems with such tests, and toxicity remains a very individual concept.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebAn autopsy revealed that Kasper's cause of death was accidental bupivacaine toxicity, the order said. David K. Li, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2022 More recently, The Bear offered its audience a look at the chaotic, messy day-to-day of a struggling neighborhood sandwich joint, with a depiction of abuse and toxicity so accurate that many pro chefs struggled to get through the whole series. Nico Avalle, Bon Appétit, 15 Aug. 2022 There are increasing efforts to cut out other people in the name of removing toxicity. Jeffrey A. Hall, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 Another critical criterion is toxicity, which the N.C. State study did not test for. Lou Dzierzak, Scientific American, 25 July 2022 Olivia and Adam's official cause of death was methamphetamine toxicity and their deaths have been ruled homicides, the medical examiners ruled in the two autopsies for the twins. Chelsea White, PEOPLE.com, 6 June 2022 Wilde is less guarded about the toxicity of tabloids. Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, 25 Aug. 2022 More and more, social scientists, legal scholars and ethical AI practitioners are identifying the toxicity of social media in terms of forgiveness. Nancy Doyle, Forbes, 8 Aug. 2022 As many as 90% of drugs entering Phase 1 clinical trials fail, with drugs like inarigivir and many others failing due to toxicity. Jim Corbett, Forbes, 26 May 2022 See More