ratsbane
Rodenticide, archaic term
Ratsbane is an old-fashioned or literary word for rat poison, especially arsenic.
The -bane suffix means something that causes death or destruction, as in wolfsbane.
The word appears mainly in historical contexts or deliberately archaic prose: The apothecary sold ratsbane to desperate customers.
Managing unwanted organisms
- rodentGnawing mammal order
- verminHarmful small animals
- infestationPest takeover situation
- exterminationComplete destruction of a group
bait · trap · mousetrap · anticoagulant · warfarin · fumigation · exterminator · eradication
Injected animal poison
- toxinBiological-origin harm agent
- hemlockPoisonous umbellifer or conifer
- belladonnaToxic herb yielding atropine
- nightshadeOften toxic plant family
aconite · strychnine · cyanide · ricin · curare · deadly · lethal · fatal
Basic substance or factor
- metalloidElement straddling two classes
- emerald greenBright bluish-green color
- trioxideThree-oxygen compound
- pentoxideOxide containing five oxygens
compound · mineral · chemistry · periodic table · semimetal
pest control
Managing unwanted organisms
- rodentGnawing mammal order
- verminHarmful small animals
- infestationPest takeover situation
extermination · bait · trap · mousetrap · anticoagulant · warfarin · fumigation · exterminator · eradication · mice
venom
Injected animal poison
- toxinBiological-origin harm agent
- hemlockPoisonous umbellifer or conifer
- belladonnaToxic herb yielding atropine
nightshade · aconite · strychnine · cyanide · ricin · curare · deadly · lethal · fatal · mortal
element
Basic substance or factor
- metalloidElement straddling two classes
- emerald greenBright bluish-green color
- trioxideThree-oxygen compound
pentoxide · compound · mineral · chemistry · periodic table · semimetal