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Glite Dictionary
toxic shock

toxic shock

4 7.7
A rare dangerous illness from bacteria causing high fever, rash, low blood pressure and organ problems linked to tampon use
  • noun
  • /ˈtɒksɪk ʃɒk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : shock tóxico
  • The doctor explained that toxic shock can occur due to certain infections, particularly during menstruation.
  • toxic shock syndrome

Examples

  • If left untreated, the patient could suffer from toxic shock, which is a serious medical emergency.

  • We believe he suffered toxic shock syndrome.

    The Iron Claw (2023)

  • Annie died from toxic shock syndrome?

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Wow, it's not bad enough you can easily get toxic shock syndrome from tampons, now this!

    Blog text (33)

  • Women with a history of toxic shock syndrome should avoid the contraceptive sponge and diaphragm.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) remains one of the best-known health impacts of a feminine hygiene product.

    Academic text (2014)

  • After experiencing symptoms like fever and rash, she was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome.

Synonyms

TSS
vstoxic shock
  • Specialized
2 9.0

A serious bacterial illness that causes high fever, rash, and low blood pressure, often after tampon use or wounds

is the same condition but also highlights common causes like surgery and specific bacteria
toxic shock syndrome
vstoxic shock
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A rare dangerous illness from bacteria causing high fever, rash, and low blood pressure, often linked to tampon use

is the exact same medical condition with identical symptoms and causes

Surface Forms

toxic shock singular
toxic shocks plural

Morphology

toxic + shock

The noun combines 'toxic' (caused by poison/toxin) with 'shock' (a severe medical circulatory collapse), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a severe/shock state caused by toxins. Detailed clinical associations and symptoms are specialized knowledge, but the core meaning is compositionally transparent and predictable across languages.

Etymology

Toxic shock comes from doctors seeing that toxic means poison and certain bacteria release poisons that make the body go into shock, a 'sudden collapse' with very low blood pressure. That's why toxic shock means a serious, often sudden illness caused by these poisons.