detox

Everyday

1. A time when a person stops taking a drug or alcohol so their body can get clean of it, often with doctors helping. tree →
2. (informal) A time of eating only healthy food, which some people believe cleans the body. tree →
3. (informal) A break from something: a digital detox is time away from phones and screens. tree →

In the lessons

In health lessons detox in hospital is real medical help for addiction. «Detox diets» and «detox teas» are mostly a marketing myth: your liver and kidneys already clean your blood. A «screen detox» means a break from devices, which can help sleep and mood. Phrases: «go into detox», «digital detox», «detox diet».

Examples

• Dad is doing a digital detox — no phone all weekend. tree →
• The singer went into detox to stop drinking. tree →
• Doctors help people through detox safely. tree →
• Juice detoxes don't really clean your body. tree →
• We had a screen detox on our camping trip. tree →
• After the holidays Mum said she needed a chocolate detox. tree →

Note

Short for «detoxification». Stress: DEE-tox. Myth: detox drinks and foot pads do not remove «toxins»; your liver and kidneys do that.