To sign poison, form "V" handshapes with both hands by extending your index and middle fingers while curling your other fingers inward. Bring your hands together and cross them at the wrists in front of your lower chest. Your palms should be facing toward your body. Hold this crossed position briefly. This static pose visually represents the crossbones symbol commonly used to warn of toxic or poisonous substances.
Point to the plant, sign "careful," and then use the "poison" sign. Make sure to use a serious facial expression to clearly convey the sense of danger.
Sign "dog," then "poison," and use a directional sign for "keep away" or "put away" to show moving the dangerous item out of the animal's reach.
Sign "he," "drink," and then "poison." Since this is a yes/no question, remember to raise your eyebrows and lean forward slightly while holding the final sign.
Point to the plant, sign "careful," and then use the "poison" sign. Make sure to use a serious facial expression to clearly convey the sense of danger.
Sign "dog," then "poison," and use a directional sign for "keep away" or "put away" to show moving the dangerous item out of the animal's reach.
Sign "he," "drink," and then "poison." Since this is a yes/no question, remember to raise your eyebrows and lean forward slightly while holding the final sign.
Yes, this sign is often used interchangeably for 'toxic'. For 'venom', especially from a snake, signers might instead use the sign for 'snake' followed by a biting motion to be more specific, but 'poison' can work in a general context.
No, for this variation of the sign, your hands remain stationary once they are crossed at the wrists. The focus is entirely on holding the clear "V" handshapes to represent the crossbones.
Generally, it does not matter which wrist is crossed in front of the other. Most signers naturally place their dominant hand closer to their body or on top, but either way is perfectly acceptable and easily understood.
