Wordul · all words

noun · 2 syllables · /'diː.tɒks/

DETOX

What does "DETOX" mean?

A process or period of removing toxic or harmful substances from the body.

Meanings

  1. A treatment intended to rid the body of addictive or poisonous substances. He spent a week in detox before starting the recovery program.
  2. A period of avoiding unhealthy foods, habits, or influences to improve wellbeing. She went on a social-media detox for the whole of January. informal
  3. To undergo or carry out a process of removing harmful substances or habits. The clinic helps patients detox safely under medical supervision.

Did you know?

  • The 'tox' in detox comes from the Greek 'toxikon' - poison meant for arrows - so to detox is, by ancient roots, to draw out the arrow-venom.

Word origin

A 20th-century shortening of 'detoxification', from 'de-' (removal) plus 'toxic', ultimately from Greek 'toxikon', poison for arrows.

Remember it

DETOX = DE (remove) + TOX (toxins); you are taking the poison back out.

A little poem

Empty the glass, then
the long ache of nothing-sweet-
the body learns plain.

haiku

Wordplay

  • I tried a juice detox and a tech detox at once. Now I'm hungry AND I can't remember what I'm hungry for.

What it teaches

Removing the poison is only half the work; the harder part is not picking it back up.

Quick facts

What does DETOX mean?

A process or period of removing toxic or harmful substances from the body.

Is DETOX a valid word?

Yes — DETOX is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is DETOX?

DETOX has 5 letters and 2 syllables.

Where does DETOX come from?

A 20th-century shortening of 'detoxification', from 'de-' (removal) plus 'toxic', ultimately from Greek 'toxikon', poison for arrows.

What can DETOX teach us?

Removing the poison is only half the work; the harder part is not picking it back up.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

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