neurotoxin
noun
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The nervous system is almost all-powerful in the body: all five senses depend on it, as do breathing, digestion, and the heart. So it's an obvious target for poisons, and neurotoxins have developed as weapons in many animals, including snakes, bees, and spiders. Some wasps use a neurotoxin to paralyze their prey so that it can be stored alive to be eaten later. Snake venom is often neurotoxic (as in cobras and coral snakes, for example), though it may instead be hemotoxic (as in rattlesnakes and coppermouths), operating on the circulatory system. Artificial neurotoxins, called nerve agents, have been developed by scientists as means of chemical warfare; luckily, few have ever been used.
Examples of neurotoxin in a Sentence
John Myers, Twin Cities, 11 May 2024
Lead is a neurotoxin that can damage the brain and kidneys and can affect the way the body makes red blood cells.
—Dana Afana, Detroit Free Press, 10 May 2024
Advertisement Bishop noted that there is a growing body of research showing cyanobacteria can produce many different types of toxins, including liver toxins, neurotoxins and gastrointestinal toxins.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
This checklist is specifically for people looking for botulinum toxin injectors, but many of the questions can be applied to injectors of other neurotoxins, like Dysport or Xeomin, as well.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 7 May 2024
Allure: Was Xeomin your first experience with an injectable neurotoxin?
—Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 6 Mar. 2024
The Flint water crisis started in 2014 when the city switched water sources and lead, a neurotoxin particularly dangerous to children, leached into the city's water supply.
—Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 1 Feb. 2024
During the fire, levels of lead — a potent neurotoxin — in Chico were about 50 times above average, California Air Resources Board researchers found.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2023
Editor’s note: This story was edited to clarify Jason Landon’s stance on using second-generation anticoagulants vs. acute neurotoxins.
—Ed Stannard, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neurotoxin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Neurotoxin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurotoxin. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
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neurotoxin
noun
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