Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To counteract or destroy the toxic properties of.
  • transitive verb To remove the effects of poison from.
  • transitive verb To treat (an individual) for alcohol or drug dependence, usually under a medically supervised program designed to rid the body of intoxicating or addictive substances.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb to remove poison from; to rid of the effects of poison.
  • transitive verb to render (a poisonous substance) non-toxic or harmless.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To remove foreign and harmful substances from something.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb remove poison from
  • verb treat for alcohol or drug dependence

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[de– + toxi(c) + –fy.]

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Examples

  • A 2007 University of Texas study review concluded that not only does melatonin detoxify harmful, cancer-causing free radicals, but in doing so it actually creates more antioxidants.

    The Cost Of Lost Shut-Eye menshealth.com 2010

  • A 2007 University of Texas study review concluded that not only does melatonin detoxify harmful, cancer-causing free radicals, but in doing so it actually creates more antioxidants.

    The Cost Of Lost Shut-Eye The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • A 2007 University of Texas study review concluded that not only does melatonin detoxify harmful, cancer-causing free radicals, but in doing so it actually creates more antioxidants.

    The Cost Of Lost Shut-Eye The Huffington Post News Team 2010

  • A 2007 University of Texas study review concluded that not only does melatonin detoxify harmful, cancer-causing free radicals, but in doing so it actually creates more antioxidants.

    The Cost Of Lost Shut-Eye menshealth.com 2010

  • From the first moment of his election as party leader in December 2005, David Cameron's driving force was to "detoxify" the Conservative brand.

    Cameron's First 100 Days 2010

  • Muhammad took over Lee's life in every way, feeding him with as many as 70 pills a day, food supplements of various kinds, including something called Great Plains Bentonite Detox, which uses an active ingredient of cat litter to "detoxify" one's bowels.

    Father, Where Art Thou? 2007

  • It's part of the Conservatives 'effort to' 'detoxify' 'the party, to purge the traces of

    The Age News Headlines 2010

  • Opponents dismiss the idea as spin designed to hide a traditional right-wing agenda of spending cuts, "detoxify" the center-right Conservatives 'image and help keep them in power.

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2010

  • In forming the coalition, he saved his leadership, temporarily, and, it is claimed, seized the opportunity to begin to 'detoxify' his party from the unreconstructed Thatcherite right.

    Socialist Party Main leads 2010

  • Cameron's first task as leader was to "detoxify" the Conservative brand.

    News24 Top Stories 2010

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