venom Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun toxin secreted by animals; secreted by certain snakes and poisonous insects (e.g., spiders and scorpions)
  2. noun feeling a need to see others suffer
    spitefulness; maliciousness; malice; spite.

WordNet

Ven"om noun
Etymology
OE. venim, OF. venim, F. venin, L. veneum. Cf. Venenate.
Definitions
  1. Matter fatal or injurious to life; poison; particularly, the poisonous, the poisonous matter which certain animals, such as serpents, scorpions, bees, etc., secrete in a state of health, and communicate by thing or stinging.
    Or hurtful worm with cankered venom bites. Milton.
  2. Spite; malice; malignity; evil quality. Chaucer. "The venom of such looks." Shak. Syn. -- Venom; virus; bane. See Poison.
Ven"om transitive verb
Etymology
OE. venimen, OF. venimer, L. venenare. See Venom, n.
Definitions
  1. To infect with venom; to envenom; to poison. R. "Venomed vengeance." Shak.

Webster 1913