Actinotoxemia

/ˌæktɪnoʊtɒkˈsiːmiə/ noun

Definition

Poisoning or toxicity caused by exposure to radiation or radiant energy.

Etymology

From Greek 'aktis' (ray) + 'toxikon' (poison) + '-emia' (condition of the blood). A medical term from the early nuclear age describing radiation sickness effects.

Kelly Says

Actinotoxemia describes what happens when you get too much radiation exposure—it literally means 'poison from rays in the blood'—and this term became tragically familiar after Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and early nuclear accidents!

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