antivenomous
|an-ti-ven-o-mous|
/ˌæn.tiˈvɛn.ə.məs/
against or lacking venom
Etymology
'antivenomous' originates from Modern English, formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') + 'venom' (from Old French 'venin', from Latin 'venenum' meaning 'poison') + the adjective suffix '-ous'.
'venom' comes from Latin 'venenum' ('poison'), passed into Old French as 'venin' and then into Middle English; 'anti-' is from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against'; these elements were combined in Modern English to form the coinage 'antivenomous'.
Initially the elements meant 'against poison' (literal 'anti-' + 'venom'), and the modern formation preserves that sense, used either to mean 'not producing venom' or 'having properties that counteract venom'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not venomous; lacking venom or not producing venom.
Many species in that genus are antivenomous and pose little danger to humans.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
relating to, producing, or capable of neutralizing venom (having antivenom properties).
The researchers described an antivenomous serum that neutralized several snake venoms in trials.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/12 05:46