Hypertext Webster Gateway: "perniciousness"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Pernicious \Per*ni"cious\, a. [L. perniciosus, from pernicies
destruction, from pernecare to kill or slay outright; per +
necare to kill, slay: cf. F. pernicieux. Cf. {Nuisance},
{Necromancy}.]
Having the quality of injuring or killing; destructive; very
mischievous; baleful; malicious; wicked.
Let this pernicious hour Stand aye accursed in the
calendar. --Shak.
Pernicious to his health. --Prescott.
Syn: Destructive; ruinous; deadly; noxious; injurious;
baneful; deleterious; hurtful; mischievous. --
{Per*ni"cious*ly}, adv., -- {Per*ni"cious*ness}, n.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
perniciousness
n : grave harmfulness or deadliness [syn: {toxicity}]
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