intoxicate
UK[ɪnˈtɒksɪkeɪt]US[ɪnˈtɑːksɪkeɪt]
v
To cause someone to lose control of their faculties or behavior, typically by alcohol or a drug.
v
To excite or exhilarate someone to a point beyond self-control.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
toxic
ate
in
in
toxic
poison
ate
verb suffix
Etymology
The word 'intoxicate' originates from the Medieval Latin verb intoxicare, meaning "to poison". This Latin term was built from the prefix in- ("into") and toxicum ("poison"), which itself derived from the Latin toxicus ("poisoned"), relating to poisoned arrows. The Greek root toxikon (pharmakon) referred specifically to "poison for smearing on arrows," from toxon ("bow"). The modern sense of "to make drunk" emerged in the late 16th century, based on the concept of a powerful substance (alcohol) entering the body and affecting it like a poison, leading to a state of altered mental and physical control.
Analysis
Structure: in (in) + toxic (poison) + ate (verb suffix)
- in: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "in, into, on".
- toxic: Latin origin, from toxicum (poison). It functions as the core root denoting poison.
- ate: Latin origin via French, a verb-forming suffix meaning "to make, to act upon".
Examples
The fumes from the chemicals were enough to intoxicate the workers in the poorly ventilated room.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated.
The sheer beauty of the symphony seemed to intoxicate the entire audience.