detoxify
verb
Did you know?
These days, detoxify can mean to free (someone) from a substance addiction (and yes, it's the source of detox, a more recent word that also refers to getting drugs or alcohol out of a person's system). Originally, however, detoxification was something done to things rather than to people. In its earliest uses - from about 1905 - detoxify referred to the removal of poison, or of poisonous or damaging properties, from a harmful substance, or to the removal of poisonous or toxic substances from something contaminated (such as the bloodstream).The specific application to removing poison from an addict is relatively new, dating to the mid-20th century. Today, detoxify is also often used generally in reference to counteracting the activity or effect of anything harmful (such as propaganda).
Examples of detoxify in a Sentence
Akili King, Essence, 14 May 2024
Finally, the resulting pulp can be dried, which detoxifies it even further, or cooked, which finishes the process using heat.
—Stephen Wooding, The Conversation, 1 May 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detoxify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Detoxify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detoxify. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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detoxify
verb
J. M. Markham
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