autointoxication
- noun
- /ˌɔːtəʊɪnˌtɒksɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Archaic
- The theory of autointoxication suggests that harmful substances created in the body can cause illness.
Examples
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Some holistic practitioners argue that autointoxication is a major factor in chronic fatigue and other ailments.
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As severe a case of autointoxication as I've ever seen.
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Corporation rules did not allow such sloppy autointoxication.
Fiction book (1995) -
At the turn of the 20th century, many doctors believed that autointoxication could lead to various health problems.
Surface Forms
Morphology
autointoxication = intoxication (semi-transparent) = auto + intoxication
The word is built directly from 'auto-' meaning 'self' plus 'intoxication', so the structure is clear even though the term is technical.
Etymology
The word autointoxication comes from the parts auto- meaning 'self', as in automatic, and toxic meaning 'poison', as in the word toxic. So autointoxication names the idea that the body 'poisons' itself.