toxine

toxin

noun tok-SEEN Rare

Origin: From Greek toxikon (poison for arrows), from toxon (bow)

Usage Note

Toxine is the standard scientific and medical term for a toxin — a poisonous substance produced by a living organism. Common compounds include toxine botulique (botulinum toxin) and toxine alimentaire (food toxin). The broader adjective toxique (toxic) shares the same root and is far more frequent in everyday speech.

Examples

"Certaines bactéries libèrent des toxines dans le corps."

Natural Translation

Some bacteria release toxins into the body.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Silent Letters: The CaReFuL Rule

Final consonants in French are silent by default — except C, R, F, L. The CaReFuL rule, the silent -e, the plural-s trap, and liaison, explained simply.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Object Pronouns: le, la, lui, leur Order

Le lui or lui le? Use the à-name test to pick le/la vs lui/leur, then one slot chart to order two French object pronouns — plus the command exception.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

En, Au, Aux: French Prepositions for Countries

Use en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural, and à for cities. Full French preposition rule for countries, with a lookup table and traps.

June 4, 2026 5 min read