poison

(poyz′ŏn)

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[Fr. poison fr. L. potio, a poisonous draft]
Any substance taken into the body by ingestion, inhalation, injection, or absorption that interferes with normal physiology. Virtually any substance can be poisonous if consumed in sufficient quantity; therefore poison more often implies an excessive degree of dosage rather than a specific group of substances. Aspirin is not usually thought of as a poison, but overdoses of this drug kill more children accidentally each year than any of the traditional poisons.
SEE: poisoning

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