lethalle‧thal /ˈliːθəl/ ●●○ adjective 
a lethal dose of heroin a lethal weapon death by lethal injection a lethal cocktail of drink and pillslethal to These chemicals are lethal to fish.2informal likely to be powerful or dangerous – often used humorously: They were all drinking lethal amounts of tequila! Higher taxes and higher inflation were a lethal combination.
WORD ORIGINlethal
Origin:
1500-1600 Latin lethalis, from lethum ‘death’, from letum (influenced by Greek lethe; ➔ LETHARGIC)EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A lethal cocktail of pollutants is being poured into Scotland's coastal waters, according to Greenpeace.
- a lethal dose of heroin
- Almost any sharp or pointed object can potentially be a lethal weapon.
- Most pesticides are lethal to earthworms on or near the surface.
- That cocktail looks pretty lethal.
- The poison produced by the frog's skin is so lethal that it can paralyze a bird or a monkey immediately.
- California has executed four San Quentin inmates since the death penalty was reinstated in 1978, the last two by lethal injection.
- Death will come by lethal injection, rather than cyanide gas, since gassing has been challenged in California as unduly cruel.
- If his execution proceeds as scheduled, he would become the first to die by lethal injection in California.
- Kaczynski sought to build increasingly lethal bombs by improving his bomb design and his bomb-making techniques.
- More than 40,000 of these lethal machines were sold between 1986 and 1988.
- Potential lethal cardiac arrhythmias and convulsions are recognised complications of both iatrogenic and self inflicted overdoses.
- The bite itself is painful, but never lethal.
Longman Language Activatorable to kill you
a fatal accident, illness, or injury is one that causes death: · He suffered a fatal injury to the neck.fatal to: · A sudden shock could be fatal to anyone with a weak heart.
something that is lethal can cause death - use this especially about weapons or substances: · The poison produced by the frog's skin is so lethal that it can paralyze a bird or a monkey immediately.· A lethal cocktail of pollutants is being poured into Scotland's coastal waters, according to Greenpeace.lethal weapon: · Almost any sharp or pointed object can potentially be a lethal weapon.lethal to: · Most pesticides are lethal to earthworms on or near the surface.
something such as a disease or poison that is deadly can cause death: · In the First World War pneumonia was as deadly as bullets and shells.· Some mushrooms are edible while others, which look almost identical, contain deadly poisons.
a killer disease or thing could kill or has killed a lot of people - used especially in newspapers: · A swarm of killer bees has attacked 70 children in a village in northern Mexico.· Killer floods and hurricanes in Asia have destroyed whole towns.
a mortal injury, wound, or disease is one that causes death - used especially in literature: · He killed Leonardo and received a mortal wound himself.· He gathered all his strength to deliver his opponent the final mortal blow.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a lethal dose of heroin a lethal weapon death by lethal injection a lethal cocktail of drink and pills Higher taxes and higher inflation were a lethal combination.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a lethal cocktail of painkillers and whisky
1causing death, or able to cause death: a lethal dose of heroin a lethal weapon death by lethal injection a lethal cocktail of drink and pills Higher taxes and higher inflation were a lethal combination. a lethal cocktail of painkillers and whisky (=an amount that kills you)· She took a lethal dose of painkillers.
(=one that kills someone)· Pinkerton was executed by lethal injection.
(=one that can kill)· A knife is a lethal weapon.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Nothing is more lethal for certain kinds of meme than a tendency to look for evidence.· They give off thick black toxic fumes, which often prove to be more lethal than the flames themselves.· They had no idea that the woman they escorted was far more lethal than ever they could hope to be.· Infidelity had become freshly dangerous, potentially much more lethal to a marriage than adultery had been previously.· The snake has enemies more lethal than Laverne's memorable mild teasing.· This is partly because single status at younger ages appears to have been consistently even more lethal for men than for women.
· When mobbing occurs, the situation is far too unpredictable from second to second to suit even the most lethal predator.· Charlie was the cruellest and most lethal type of seducer.· The stuff that furs up coronary arteries must be one of the most lethal substances known to man.· Gastric cancer and especially oesophageal cancer ate two of the most lethal gastrointestinal cancers in terms of cure rate and survival.· He synthesises new chemical poisons of the most lethal kind and sprays the countryside wholesale.· It was these, not so much the explosions perse that made the Krakatoa eruption the most lethal on record.· And it promised to be the most weird - was definitely the most lethal.· Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world.
· Police in Gloucestershire have made their first seizure of the potentially lethal drug.· Salesmen warning DOOR-TO-DOOR salesmen are posing as Fire Brigade representatives to sell potentially lethal fire extinguishers, it has been disclosed.· This is a potentially lethal combination, but modern techniques help to safeguard us from those risks.· A Green Party spokesman said that spent fuel rods are highly radioactive and potentially lethal.· They're lovely to look at, but remember that old Christmas tree lights are potentially lethal.· They say they come across thousands of examples of potentially lethal appliances.· He'd had more than enough of her reckless approach to potentially lethal situations.
NOUN· In a flourish of biochemical altruism, they manufacture deadly molecules and then turn this lethal cocktail upon themselves.· It probably illustrates it's a lethal cocktail of lorries and cars.· After all, each state comprised an often lethal cocktail of peoples.
· N New tank syndrome: A lethal combination of all the problems mentioned in this article.· Not to mention that lethal combination of hands and strength.· Together however, these factors can prove a lethal combination.· This is a potentially lethal combination, but modern techniques help to safeguard us from those risks.· The little church has suffered from the rigours of time and town planning, normally a lethal combination, and survived.· An aptly named gas, discovered in 1766, it had that potentially lethal combination of having both explosive and lifting properties.
· Operators received lethal doses of radiation while needlessly reconnecting the water supply to the devastated reactor.· The prison staff member will then begin to administer lethal doses of three chemicals.· Some workers received lethal doses because the rest of the site was not evacuated.· What effect on pain might, say, three-quarters of the lethal dose have had?· Usually one of Robert's business prospects would be invited for a lethal dose of glamour.· The river still carries a lethal dose of poisons.· Shipman was convicted last year of murdering 15 female patients with lethal doses of diamorphine.
· Police in Gloucestershire have made their first seizure of the potentially lethal drug.· Some one else will inject lethal drugs into his bloodstream.· None saw his executioners spend several minutes hunting for a vein to administer the lethal drugs.
· In May 1986 the Supreme Court rejected his final appeals and Pinkerton was executed by lethal injection.· McVeigh is scheduled to die by lethal injection May 16 at a federal prison in Terre Haute.· California has executed four San Quentin inmates since the death penalty was reinstated in 1978, the last two by lethal injection.· His four-minute execution by lethal injection in Indianain the United States was perhaps the most minutely scrutinised death in history.· You know, lethal injection, the needle.· Death will come by lethal injection, rather than cyanide gas, since gassing has been challenged in California as unduly cruel.· He would be the first California death row inmate to be executed by lethal injection.
· Bearing in mind that the knife is a lethal weapon, what happens if you get it wrong?· Roughly half of child killers used a gun, while 16 percent used their own hands and feet as lethal weapons.· As I couldn't take Lisabeth with me, it was the nearest thing I had to a lethal weapon.· Being in charge of a lethal weapon, so to speak.· Sentencing Harris, Lord Sutherland, told him that attempted murders involving such lethal weapons were becoming far too prevalent.· Atkinson has a lethal weapon in Dean Saunders - recruited from Liverpool - who is aiming to wreck United's dream.· For statistics alone are unlikely to stop a 17-year-old putting his foot down in a lethal weapon.
a lethal dose of heroin a lethal weapon death by lethal injection a lethal cocktail of drink and pillslethal to These chemicals are lethal to fish.2informal likely to be powerful or dangerous – often used humorously: They were all drinking lethal amounts of tequila! Higher taxes and higher inflation were a lethal combination.