neurotoxin
noun
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The nervous system is almost all-powerful in the body: all five senses depend on it, as do breathing, digestion, and the heart. So it's an obvious target for poisons, and neurotoxins have developed as weapons in many animals, including snakes, bees, and spiders. Some wasps use a neurotoxin to paralyze their prey so that it can be stored alive to be eaten later. Snake venom is often neurotoxic (as in cobras and coral snakes, for example), though it may instead be hemotoxic (as in rattlesnakes and coppermouths), operating on the circulatory system. Artificial neurotoxins, called nerve agents, have been developed by scientists as means of chemical warfare; luckily, few have ever been used.
Examples of neurotoxin in a Sentence
Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
The type of neurotoxin that’s used in the masseter muscles all comes down to your injector’s preference.
—Mary Honkus, Allure, 29 Apr. 2025
Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause a wide array of health problems including include memory loss, behavioral issues, learning disabilities, cardiovascular problems and kidney damage.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 30 Mar. 2025
Elapid venom contains peptides called short-chain neurotoxins (SNX) and long-chain neurotoxins (LNX).
—Katherine Bourzac, Scientific American, 7 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Neurotoxin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurotoxin. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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neurotoxin
noun
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