venomous

adj

1. Of an animal (specifically a snake) or parts of its body: producing venom (“a toxin intended for defensive or offensive use”) which is usually injected into an enemy or prey by biting or stinging; hence, of a bite or sting: injecting venom.

   “Do venomous spiders have glands?”

   “For that beaſtes teeth, vvhich vvounded you tofore, / Are ſo exceeding venemous and keene, / Made all of ruſty yron, ranckling ſore, / That vvhen they bite, it booteth not to vveene / VVith ſalue, or antidote, or other mene / It euer to amend: […]”

   “Haſt thou the pretty vvorme of Nylus [an asp] there, / That killes and paines not? / […] / Come thou mortal vvretch, / VVith thy ſharpe teeth this knot intrinſicate, / Of life at once vntye: Poore venomous Foole, / Be angry, and diſpatch.”

   “[T]he biting of a Pike is venemous and hard to be cured.”

   “[M]any, if not moſt of our European venemous Animals carry their Cure, as vvell as Poiſon in their ovvn Bodies. The Oil, and I doubt not, the Body of Scorpions too, is a certain Remedy againſt its Stroke.”

2. Of or pertaining to venom.

   “[A]s the teeth [of the salamander] are thus incapable of offending, the people of the countries vvhere they are found have recourſe to a venomous ſlaver, vvhich, they ſuppoſe, iſſues from the animal's mouth; they alſo tell us of a venom iſſuing from the clavvs: […]”

   “[T]he glands [of a snake] that ſerve to fabricate this venomous fluid are ſituated on each ſide of the head behind the eyes, and have their canals leading from thence to the bottom of the fangs in the upper javv, vvhere they empty into a kind of bladder, from vvhence the fangs on each ſide are ſeen to grovv.”

   “[H]e [the doctor] immediately produced from either pocket a huge bundle of dried herbs (perhaps the identical venomous-smelling spicer), which he gave to Miss Phœbe to make into a decoction secundum artem, and a huge horse-ball, which he proceeded to divide into boluses;— […]”

3. (archaic)Consisting of, or containing or full of, venom or some other poison; hence, harmful to health due to this.

   “The villain tricked him into drinking the venomous concoction.”

   “But of men condemned to perpetuall oblivion I may ſeeme to haue ſaid over much, although it concerneth poſterity alſo for a Caveat, that vvicked generations be notified, as vvel as noyſome vveeds, and venemous plants.”

   “[W]e may compare this Diſtemper very aptly to an Ague; vvherein, the fleſhy parts being congealed, or by venomous matter obſtructed; […]”

   “The Antients venially delighted in flouriſhing Gardens; […] Some commendably affected Plantations of venemous Vegetables, ſome confined their delights unto ſingle plants, and Cato ſeemed to dote upon Cabbadge; […]”

4. (figuratively)Posing a threat; dangerous, threatening.

   “Arsenal pressed forward again after half-time but other than a venomous [Theo] Walcott shot that [Tim] Howard repelled with a fine one-handed save, the hosts offered little cutting edge.”

   “Palace's number nine passed into [Eberechi] Eze, who let the ball roll across to him to fool Leander Dendoncker before he unleashed a venomous strike past Rui Patricio from 16 yards.”

   “[Kevin] Roberts soon backtracked. He issued a second statement more explicitly condemning [Nick] Fuentes. He has also apologized for using the terms “venomous coalition” and “globalist class”, saying he did not realize their antisemitic connotations.”

5. (figuratively)Hateful; malignant; spiteful.

   “His attitude toward me is utterly venomous.”

   “More venemous and much more virulent / Then any poyſoned tode, or any ſerpent.”

   “Some diuell vvhiſper curſes in my eare, / And prompt me that my tongue may vtter forth, / The venemous mallice of my ſvvelling hart.”

   “VVhom vvith vile tongue and venemous intent / He ſore doth vvound, and bite, and cruelly torment.”

   “[T]here are in the moſt depraved and venemous diſpoſitions, certain pieces that remaine untoucht, vvhich by an Antiperiſtaſis become more excellent, or by the excellency of their antipathies are able to preſerve themſelves from the contagion of their enemies vices, and perſiſt intire beyond the generall corruption.”

6. (obsolete)Of a weapon such as an arrow or dart: dosed with venom or poison; envenomed, poisoned.
7. (figuratively, obsolete)Harmful, hurtful, injurious; specifically, morally or spiritually harmful; evil, noxious, pernicious.

   “[…] I vvill at large proue, that ther is nothinge in loue more venemous then méeting, vvhich filleth the minde with griefe, and the body vvith diſeaſes: […]”

   “Thy teares are ſalter than a yonger mans, / And venomous to thine eyes.”

   “[…] King VVilliam the firſt built a faire Abbay in memorie of Saint German, vvho happily confuted that venemous Pelagian hæreſie, vvhich often times (as the ſerpent Hydra) grevv to an head againe in Britaine.”