genotoxic
|ge-no-tox-ic|
C1
/ˌdʒiːnəˈtɒksɪk/
DNA damaging
Etymology
Etymology Information
'genotoxic' originates from the combination of 'geno-' from Greek 'genos' meaning 'race, kind' and 'toxic' from Latin 'toxicum' meaning 'poison'.
Historical Evolution
'genotoxic' was formed in modern English by combining the Greek and Latin roots to describe substances that damage genetic material.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it referred to substances that could harm genetic material, and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
capable of causing damage to genetic material, such as DNA, leading to mutations or cancer.
The chemical was found to be genotoxic in laboratory tests.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/04/30 23:30