toxicant

noun

tox·​i·​cant ˈtäk-si-kənt How to pronounce toxicant (audio)
Synonyms of toxicantnext
: a toxic agent
especially : pesticide

Examples of toxicant 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.
Garcia said her health is also negatively affected by toxicants. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Researchers found that 40% of the 97 participants had higher concentrations of a toxicant associated with the defunct LCP Chemicals plant than the national average. — CBS News, 12 June 2026 The ash from open burning can also contaminate soil and groundwater with persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and other toxicants, creating more chances for people to be exposed to them through food and water. — Ellen M. Considine, The Conversation, 2 June 2026 In the 1970s, Claudia Miller, an allergist and environmental scientist, was studying how toxicants affect people in industrial settings and began noticing strange symptoms emerging after certain kinds of chemical exposures. — Kate Raphael, Discover Magazine, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for toxicant

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin toxicant-, toxicans, present participle of toxicare to poison, from Latin toxicum

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toxicant was in 1879

Rhymes for toxicant

See All Rhymes for toxicant

Browse Nearby Words

toxical
toxicant
toxicarol
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Toxicant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicant. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

toxicant

noun
tox·​i·​cant ˈtäk-si-kənt How to pronounce toxicant (audio)
: a toxic agent
especially : one for insect control that kills rather than repels

More from Merriam-Webster on toxicant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for toxicant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All