毒

• Reading: どく
• Romaji: doku
• Kanji breakdown: 毒 (doku) — poison, toxin
• Pronunciation: /do.kɯ/

Meaning

Poison; a substance that causes harm or death when ingested or absorbed.

A noun used both literally for toxic substances and figuratively for anything harmful or corrupting. Common compounds: 毒薬 (dokuyaku, poison/toxic drug), 毒蛇 (dokuhebi, venomous snake), 毒舌 (dokuzetsu, sharp tongue/caustic remarks). The figurative usage is very common: 目の毒 (me no doku, a temptation one shouldn't look at).

Examples

1. このキノコには毒があるから食べてはいけない。 Can you move out of the way?
2. 彼の毒舌はおもしろいけど時々きつい。 A hot pot is coming through, so please step aside.
3. ストレスは体にとって毒になることがある。 The cat that was blocking the path finally moved.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, health, figurative speech

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 毒 originally depicted a person affected by a harmful plant. In classical Chinese, it meant both 'poison' and 'to harm.'

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal