Definition

A medical condition where harmful substances or toxins are present in the blood, often due to infection or the growth of germs.

Example

The doctor diagnosed her with toxemia after the tests showed high levels of toxins in her blood.

Conversation

I read an article about toxemia and how it can affect pregnant women.

That sounds serious! What exactly is it?

It's when toxins build up in the blood due to infections or other issues.

Wow, I had no idea. I hope people are getting the right care for it.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Toxemia is formed from "tox" (from Greek "toxikon", meaning poison) and "-emia" (from Greek "haima", meaning blood). The word refers to a condition characterized by the presence of toxins in the blood.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tox' as relating to 'poison' and '-emia' as relating to 'blood' — this helps you remember that toxemia means having poison in the blood.

Visually Confused Words