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food poisoning
noun
: an acute gastrointestinal disorder caused by bacteria or their toxic products or by chemical residues in food
Examples of food poisoning in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That number is likely to be a significant underestimate of the true number, as most cases of food poisoning go unreported.
—Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 3 May 2024
At the risk of sounding dramatic, but one false slurp can leave with a nasty case of food poisoning.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
Common causes of nausea can include motion sickness, over-eating, pregnancy, medication side effects and illnesses including viral and bacterial infections or food poisoning, experts say.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
There is still a risk of food poisoning if the eggs have been mishandled.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
Experiencing food poisoning: According to the CDC, one in six Americans get sick from foodborne diseases annually.
—Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024
Spoiled mayonnaise in egg salad can result in food poisoning.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2024
Just as well, since that would be a recipe for food poisoning.
—Julia Buckley, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024
First, food poisoning kept him from attending the exhibition against Kentucky State.
—Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 20 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'food poisoning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1856, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near food poisoning
Cite this Entry
“Food poisoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20poisoning. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
food poisoning
noun
: a digestive sickness caused by bacteria or by chemicals in food
Medical Definition
food poisoning
noun1
: either of two acute gastrointestinal disorders caused by bacteria or their toxic products:
a
: a rapidly developing intoxication marked by nausea, vomiting, prostration, and often severe diarrhea and caused by the presence in food of toxic products produced by bacteria (as some staphylococci)
b
: a less rapidly developing infection especially with salmonellae that has generally similar symptoms and that results from multiplication of bacteria ingested with contaminated food
2
: a gastrointestinal disturbance occurring after consumption of food that is contaminated with chemical residues (as from sprays) or food (as some fungi) that is inherently unsuitable for human consumption
More from Merriam-Webster on food poisoning
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about food poisoning
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