Poisonous

Question

A Poisonous frog: able to kill or harm if swallowed or absorbed.Do "swallowed" and "absorbed refer to "a frog"?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

JumanahDo "swallowed" and "absorbed refer to "a frog"?

Yes. What else in the context do you see that might be swallowed or absorbed?

I suspect you have not completely described the context in which you saw this.

CJ

Jumanah · Answer

My dictionary defines poisonous as "able to kill or harm if swallowed or absorbed"
But I don't know to which "swallowed", and "absorbed" refer ?

Philip · Answer

To swallow is to ingest as one eats and drinks. To absorb is to take into the body some other way, as through the skin because of a bite.

CalifJim · Answer

JumanahMy dictionary defines poisonous as "able to kill or harm if swallowed or absorbed"

That's got nothing to do with frogs. How did the frog get into this?

This is a dictionary definition of the adjective "poisonous", so it applies when the adjective "poisonous" is used with a noun — any noun.

You ask what "swallowed" and "absorbed" refer to. They refer to the noun used with "poisonous", whatever that noun is. To paraphrase it you may have to add "which is":

a poisonous mushroom ~ a mushroom which is able to kill or harm you if you swallow it (the mushroom)
a poisonous plant ~ a plant which is able to kill or harm you if you swallow it (the plant)

The definition you have is not the only definition because "poisonous" is also used in other ways, for example:

a poisonous snake ~ a snake which is able to kill or harm you if it (the snake) bites you

This one about the snake does not correspond with the definition you quoted because it has nothing to do with swallowing the snake. There are other definitions of "poisonous". Most words have multiple definitions because a single definition cannot always explain every use of a word.
_______________

There is a special trick to reading dictionary definitions, so you need to practice that.

CJ

Khoff · Answer

CalifJima poisonous snake ~ a snake which is able to kill or harm you if it (the snake) bites you

I seem to remember reading a distinction between "poisonous" and "venomous," that said something like "If the snake bites you and you die, the snake is venomous. If you bite the snake and you die, the snake is poisonous." But my guess is that most people use "poisonous" in a broader sense that would encompass both situations.

Jumanah · Answer

Poisonous: which's able to kill or harm if swallowed or absorbed.
I think "swallowed" and "absorbed" refer to a person who may swallow a frog or absorb it.
Is that correct?

Fivejedjon · Answer

Jumanahwhich's

which is. We don't contract this in speech or writing.

JumanahI think "swallowed" and "absorbed" refer to a person who may swallow a frog or absorb it.

No. It refers to the thing that is swallowed or absorbed.

Jumanah · Answer

Okay.
Thank you very much

Poisonous

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