mithridatize

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US/ˌmɪθrəˈdeɪdaɪz/UK/ˈmɪθrɪdeɪtʌɪz/UK/mɪˈθrɪdətʌɪz/

verb

To make immune to a poison by administration of gradually increasing doses.

“Her experiences in high school gradually mithridatized her to the ways of men.”

Scrabble 27
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Meanings

verbmithridatize (third-person singular simple present mithridatizes, present participle mithridatizing, simple past and past participle mithridatized)

present singular third person mithridatizes · participle present mithridatizing · participle past mithridatized · past mithridatized · alternative mithridatise · alternative mithradatize

  1. USTo make immune to a poison by administration of gradually increasing doses.

    Her experiences in high school gradually mithridatized her to the ways of men.

    2 more examples

    Our constitutions adapt themselves to the slow poison of the world till we become mithridatized at last.

    1866, J.R. Lowell, letter

    Poisonous snakes are... ‘mithridatised’ in regard to their own poison.

    1890, E.R. Lankester, The Advancement of Science, page 114

Origin

From Mithridates + -ize, in reference to Mithridates VI of Pontus.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mithridatize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mithridatize

MLA

“mithridatize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mithridatize. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mithridatize,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mithridatize.

Source: mithridatize on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.