Assassins from olden times made poisons, and this led to wealthy people employing food-tasters. The assassins were experts at venefice, or making and delivering poisons.
Ven"e*fice (?), n. [L. veneficium, fr. veneficus poisoning; venenum poison + facere to make: cf. F. v'en'efice.]
The act or practice of poisoning.
© Webster 1913.
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