Origin and history of toxicosis

1660s, "of or pertaining to poisons, poisonous," from French toxique and directly from Late Latin toxicus "poisoned," from Latin toxicum "poison," from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) "(poison) for use on arrows," from toxikon, neuter of toxikos "pertaining to arrows or archery," and thus to a bow, from toxon "bow," which has been regarded as a loan-word from Scythian.

Watkins suggests a possible source in Iranian taxša- "bow" (from PIE *tekw- "to run, flee"). Beekes, pointing to the early attestation of the Greek word, suggests a Pre-Greek origin.

As a noun from 1890. Related: Toxical. Compare intoxicate. Toxic waste is by 1888 in medicine, "toxin;" by 1955 as "chemical or radioactive waste."

word-forming element expressing state or condition, in medical terminology denoting "a state of disease," from Latin -osis and directly from Greek -osis, formed from the aorist of verbs ending in -o. It corresponds to Latin -atio.