Hepatotoxin

/ˌhɛpətəʊˈtɒksɪn/ noun

Definition

Any substance or poison that specifically damages or harms liver cells.

Etymology

From Greek 'hepato-' (liver) + 'toxin' (poison). The noun form names the actual poisonous agent that affects the liver.

Kelly Says

Alcohol is one of the most common hepatotoxins, which is why long-term drinking causes cirrhosis—your liver keeps trying to filter it out and essentially slowly poisons itself in the process.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.