Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by VanshPatel99 165 days ago
TIL. I always thought that "If it bite you -> you die = venom" and "If you eat, bite, touch -> you die = poison". But your differentiation makes more sense
2 comments

That explains the words "venomous" and "poisonous" used of creatures.

It's different for the actual substances. Although it relates: a venomous creature that bites you will release its venom into your bloodstream.

>a venomous creature that bites you will release its venom into your bloodstream

unless it's a bee, wasp, hornet, scorpion, stingray, jellyfish, man-of-war, platypus, lionfish, stonefish, sea urchin, or catfish, which all have venom instead of poison, but the delivery mechanism of said venom isn't biting

I said "bite" echoing the comment I was replying to. Obviously the same applies, mutatis mutandis, to stinging etc.
If a venomous snake bites you, you die. If you bite a venomous snake, you live. If a poisonous snake bites you, you will. If you bite a poisonous snake, you die.

Or Hamlet's mother died by drinking poisoned wine. Hamlet died by being stabbed with an envenomed sword.