detoxify
UK[diːˈtɒksɪfaɪ]US[diːˈtɑːksɪfaɪ]
v
to remove harmful or poisonous substances from something
v
to stop taking unhealthy or harmful substances, especially drugs or alcohol, into your body for a period of time in order to improve your health
Morpheme Breakdown
de
tox
ify
de
remove
tox
poison
ify
make
Etymology
the word 'detoxify' is a modern scientific formation built from classical components. its core, 'tox', originates from the latin 'toxicum', meaning 'poison', which itself is traced to the greek 'toxikon pharmakon', 'poison for arrows', from 'toxon' (bow). the prefix 'de-', of latin origin, signifies reversal or removal. the verb-forming suffix '-ify', from latin '-ificare' via old french, means 'to make'. therefore, the literal morphemic construction 'de-tox-ify' logically means 'to make poison be removed', a meaning that has evolved from the ancient concept of arrow poison to encompass the modern abstract process of cleansing any harmful substance from a body or system.
Analysis
Structure: de (remove) + tox (poison) + ify (make)
de- (latin origin, a prefix meaning 'remove from' or 'undo'); tox (from latin 'toxicum' meaning 'poison'); -ify (latin-derived suffix via french, meaning 'to make' or 'to cause to become')
Examples
the liver helps to detoxify the blood.
many people choose to detoxify their bodies by drinking only juices for a week.
the facility was built to detoxify industrial wastewater before it is released into the river.