Link Centre Dictionary

intoxicate

in·to·xi·cate

UK/ɪnˈtɒksɪkət/ US/ɪnˈtɑksɪkət/ uncommon obsolete

verb

1.

fill with high spirits; fill with optimism

  • “Music can uplift your spirits”
2.

make drunk (with alcoholic drinks)

3.

have an intoxicating effect on, of a drug

Origin

First attested in 1450, in Middle English; from Middle English intoxicaten, from intoxicat(e) (“(of a weapon or drug) smeared, anointed or filled with poison; (of a human being, animal) poisoned, intoxicated”, also used as the past participle of intoxicaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), borrowed from intoxicātus, perfect passive participle of intoxicō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from Late Latin toxicō (“to smear, anoint with poison”), from toxicus (“toxic, poisonous”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), from Ancient Greek τοξικόν (toxikón). By surface analysis, in- + toxic + -ate.

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Causes

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.