also: どっけ · どくけ · どくき
noun
poisonous air; poisonous gas; toxic fumes
Only with reading どっき
Refers to harmful airborne substances. Reading is restricted to どっき.
火山の噴火で毒気が発生した。
Poisonous gas was emitted by the volcanic eruption.
noun
poisonous ingredient; toxic nature; toxicity
Only with reading どっけ / どくけ
Describes the inherent poisonous quality of a substance. Usually read どっけ or どくけ.
この植物の毒気は加熱しても消えない。
The toxicity of this plant does not disappear even when heated.
noun
Figurative use for a person's venomous attitude. Often appears in the phrase 毒気を抜かれる (to be overwhelmed by someone's malice).
彼の言葉には毒気があって、聞いていて不快だった。
His words were full of malice and unpleasant to hear.
あの人の毒気には本当に参る。
That person's spite really gets to me.
Alternate reading for the 'poisonous ingredient/nature' and 'malice' senses.
Rarely used kana form reading; not a practical spelling.
Compound of 毒 (poison) and 気 (spirit, air, essence). The reading どっき is a sound shift from どくき. The exact historical derivation of the variant readings is uncertain.