A poisonous substance produced by living organisms, especially bacteria, that causes disease when present in small amounts.
From German 'Toxin' (1880s), from Greek 'toxikon' meaning 'poison for arrows', from 'toxon' (bow). Originally referred to arrow poison, the term was extended to biological poisons by early bacteriologists studying disease-causing substances.
The word toxin carries the ancient memory of biological warfare—Greek archers would dip arrows in plant and animal poisons for hunting and battle. Modern toxicology still uses this archer's vocabulary, connecting ancient battlefield tactics to our understanding of how microscopic amounts of biological substances can be deadly.
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