The word "venom" is spelled as /ˈvɛnəm/. The first letter "v" is pronounced as /v/ which is a voiced labiodental fricative. The "e" in "venom" is pronounced as the short e sound /ɛ/. The letter "n" is pronounced as /n/, a voiced alveolar nasal. The last two letters "o" and "m" are pronounced as the short o sound /ə/ and an unvoiced bilabial nasal /m/ respectively. The word "venom" refers to a poisonous substance obtained from animals, usually snakes, scorpions, or spiders.
Venom is a toxic substance produced by certain animals, particularly reptiles and insects, which is injected into their prey or enemies through a bite or sting. It is commonly associated with snakes, spiders, scorpions, and some marine creatures. Venom is primarily used as a means of defense, immobilizing or killing their victims.
The toxicity of venom varies between species and can have different effects on the human body, ranging from mild pain and swelling to life-threatening conditions. It often contains a combination of proteins, peptides, enzymes, and other chemical compounds that disrupt the normal functioning of the body's cells and tissues. Venomous animals typically possess specialized structures, such as fangs, stingers, or barbs, to facilitate the delivery of venom.
Venom may be classified into different types based on its method of delivery or specific actions on the body. For example, neurotoxic venom affects the nervous system, hemotoxic venom impacts the blood and circulatory system, and cytotoxic venom damages cells and tissues directly. Some venom components have even been studied for potential medical applications, such as pain relief or as a source of new drugs.
It is important to distinguish venom from poison, as venom is actively injected, while poisons are typically ingested or absorbed. Venomous animals use their venom as a means of defense, hunting, and capturing prey, and their toxins have evolved to target specific physiological processes in their intended victims.
The poison excreted by certain animals, such as reptiles and insects, as a means of protection or for destroying their prey.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Matter fatal or injurious to life, restricted to matter introduced into the system by bites or stings; spite; malice.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "venom" comes from the Old French term "venim" (meaning "poison") which evolved from the Latin word "venenum" (also meaning "poison"). The Latin word "venenum" originally referred to any kind of poison or intoxicating potion. It is believed to have possibly derived from the Proto-Indo-European root word "wenes-", meaning "to strive", "to desire", or "to love". Over time, "venom" came to specifically refer to the toxic substance produced by certain animals, often injected through bites or stings.