poison ivy

noun

1. a vine or shrub, Rhus radicans, having trifoliate leaves and whitish berries and causing severe dermatitis when touched by persons sensitive to it.
2. poison oak.
3. the rash caused by touching poison ivy.

poison ivy

noun

1. See sumach
   any of several North American anacardiaceous shrubs or vines of the genus Rhus (or Toxicodendron ), esp R. radicans, which has small green flowers and whitish berries that cause an itching rash on contact See also sumach

Word History and Origins

Origin of poison ivy¹

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example Sentences

It was a long, slow paddle, followed by a climb across the poison ivy–invested island, but sure enough, there was a tiny wave breaking over some barely submerged rocks.

From Outside Online

Made with 100% natural colloidal oatmeal, this dermatologist-recommended skin treatment creates a milky bath that relieves itch and irritation due to poison ivy, insect bites, sunburn, eczema, and more.

From Essence.com

A 2019 survey and analysis commissioned by the Park Service reported that American campers’ most common frustration isn’t bugs or bad weather or poison ivy but simply the difficulty of finding a place to camp.

From Outside Online

The bully showed up to take their lunch money, except he was wearing his underwear over his pants, and then he fell down a manhole into a pit of mousetraps atop a pile of Whoopee cushions, which were covered in poison ivy.

From Washington Post

A month later, a package arrived: two boxes filled with Poison Ivy and Batgirl!

From The Daily Beast

Leaves and flowers of the poison ivy plant were extracted with ether and the ether was removed by evaporation.

From Project Gutenberg

She will crop the poison ivy with impunity, and I think would eat thistles if she found them growing in the garden.

From Project Gutenberg

Look at the poison-ivy, but do not touch it, and you will see it climbing over tree-trunks and fence-posts by means of rootlets.

From Project Gutenberg

Aunt Katrina lived under the impression that everything that came from the woods was poison-ivy.

From Project Gutenberg

Do poison-ivy and Virginia creeper belong to the same family?

From Project Gutenberg