Fandom Grammar

As Lewis Carroll's Alice observed, if you drink from a bottle marked "poison," it is almost certain to disagree with you sooner or later. But what about venom or a toxin? Today we'll take a look at these three terms and figure out what makes them different from one another.

The Oxford Dictionaries tell us that poison is a descendant of potion, which in turn comes from Latin potare: "to drink." It's true that in many cases, a medicine (which is what "potion" usually meant in Middle English) can also be a poison, depending on the dosage. However, we usually use poison to mean a substance that can cause a living creature to become ill or die:

"Attention!" said the ship's speakers. "We'll arrive at Deep Space Station K7 in 90 minutes. Those who have been granted shore leave should report to the transporter rooms in two hours."

Uhura sighed and shook her head. Chekov was perplexed. "Why the sad face, Lieutenant? The station has shopping and fantastic bars—almost as good as St. Petersburg!"

"I know," she said. "But every time I think about the place, all I remember is how all those poor little tribbles were poisoned. So sad!"

Poison can be from a number of different types of sources, including minerals and plants, and it may be given to its victim in food or drink or as an injection (whether on a weapon or via a needle). Venom, on the other hand, is an organic substance secreted by an animal and is usually injected by something sharp, like a stinger or fangs:

"Believe it or not," said Dr. McCoy, "one of the most promising compounds for treating Rigelian fever turns out to be a derivative of the venom of the mugato."

Kirk grimaced. "No, really?"

"Oh, sorry, Jim." McCoy patted his friend's shoulder, awkwardly. "I'd completely forgotten about that ape bite."

Here on Earth, venom is produced by creatures ranging from wasps to platypuses. This word is also from the Latin; specifically, it's a descendant of venenum, which means simply "poison."

Finally, we have toxin, which is the most specific and modern of these terms. It's a late 19th-century derivation from the adjective toxic, which simply means … poisonous. However, a toxin is distinguished by its specific effect on a living creature. It acts as an antigen, which means that it provokes the body's immune system. Toxins are often produced by the micro-organisms that cause illnesses and in fact, it's these substances that cause many of the symptoms of illnesses:

"You see," said McCoy, "the Rigelian fever pathogen produces toxins that are especially dangerous to the human nervous system. But the mugatanyl drug inhibits the production of the toxins."

You should note, however, that the term can also be used to refer to non-organic substances that cause this same sort of response and that even radiation can be considered a toxin. Toxic, the term from which toxin derives, is from an ancient Greek word that meant a poison that was used on arrows.

So, there you have it. Poison is the most general word: it can be used for any substance that, when it gets into a living creature's body, makes the creature ill or causes it to die. Venom can be thought of as a type of poison that is produced naturally by an animal and that the animal itself injects into a victim via something sharp, such as fangs (snakes and mugatu), stingers (wasps and bees), or spurs (platypuses). Finally, toxin is a fairly modern term that most often shows up in a medical setting: it specifically refers to a poison that causes a living organism to mount an immunological defense.

Poisons can occur in all types of fictional settings, from ancient tales and classic fantasies to the most futuristic science fiction. Venoms, given their animal origins, would be most natural in an outdoor setting; however, fiction is full of references to people using various sorts of venoms in the commission of crimes. In contrast, the term toxin should probably be restricted to settings where people understand the concept of immunological responses in living things.