# poison

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpɔɪ.zən/ · frequency rank #6,282

## Definitions
1. A substance that is harmful or lethal to a living organism when ingested.
2. Anything harmful to a person or thing.
3. An alcoholic drink. (Mainly in the phrases "name your poison" and "what's your poison?")
4. Any substance that inhibits catalytic activity.

## Etymology
From Middle English poysoun, poyson, pusoun, from Old French poison, poisun, from Latin pōtiōnem (“drink, a draught, a poisonous draught, a potion”), from pōtō (“I drink”). See also potion and potable (from the same root). Mostly displaced native Old English ātor. See more at atter.

## Easily confused with
- **poon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-poon)
- **prison** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-prison)
- **potion** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-potion)
- **prisons** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-prisons)
- **Poisson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-poisson)
- **poisoned** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poison-vs-poisoned)
- **poise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poise-vs-poison)
- **person** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/person-vs-poison)
- **piston** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piston-vs-poison)
- **poised** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poised-vs-poison)
- **Poirot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poirot-vs-poison)
- **parson** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/parson-vs-poison)

## Common misspellings (7)
`opison`, `pioson`, `poiosn`, `poisno`, `poisonn`, `posion`, `ppoison`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/poison