'Poison' originally just meant 'a drink' — from Latin 'potio.' It's the dark twin of 'potion.'
A substance that causes illness, injury, or death when introduced into or absorbed by a living organism.
From Old French 'poison' (a drink, a potion, a poisonous drink), from Latin 'pōtiōnem' (accusative of 'pōtiō'), meaning 'a drink, a draught, a potion.' Latin 'pōtiō' derives from 'pōtāre' (to drink), from PIE *peh₃- (to drink). The word originally meant nothing more sinister than 'a drink' — the same Latin root produced 'potion.' The sinister
'Poison' and 'potion' are doublets — both descend from the exact same Latin word 'pōtiō' (a drink). One entered English through Old French and darkened into something deadly; the other arrived through learned borrowing and kept its neutral, magical sense. Same origin, opposite connotations.
Words closest in meaning, ranked by similarity