das Gegengift
antidote
A substance that counteracts or reduces the effects of a poison in the body.
EXAMPLE
Der Arzt verabreichte dem Patienten schnell ein Gegengift.
The doctor quickly administered an antidote to the patient.
das Gegengift
antidote
das Gegengift, die Gegengifte
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Gegengift, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Gegengifte |
| genitive | des Gegengifts |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Gegengift | die Gegengifte |
| accusative | das Gegengift | die Gegengifte |
| dative | dem Gegengift | den Gegengiften |
| genitive | des Gegengifts des Gegengiftes | der Gegengifte |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Compound word
'Gegengift' (antidote) is made up of 'gegen' (against) and 'Gift' (poison). The first component indicates that this substance is used against the effects of a poison.
EXAMPLE
Das Labor entwickelte ein Gegengift gegen das gefährliche Schlangengift.
The laboratory developed an antidote for the dangerous snake venom.
Typical collocations
'Gegengift' (antidote) commonly occurs with verbs such as 'verabreichen' (to administer), 'einsetzen' (to use), and 'finden' (to find). The poison the antidote works against is also often specified.
EXAMPLE
Gegen dieses Pilzgift hat man bisher kein wirksames Gegengift gefunden.
No effective antidote has yet been found for this mushroom poison.
Medical context
'Gegengift' (antidote) is mainly used in medical, biological, and emergency medicine contexts. Such texts often deal with poisoning caused by animals, plants, or chemical substances.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem Biss wurde der Patient in ein Krankenhaus gebracht, wo man ihm ein Gegengift gab.
After the bite, the patient was taken to a hospital, where they gave him an antidote.
In real life
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