The word 中毒 is formed through a direct and logical combination of its two component characters: 中 (zhòng), which in this context means "to be hit by" or "to suffer from", and 毒 (dú), which means "poison" or "toxin". Together, they create a vivid conceptual image of "being struck by poison", effectively conveying the state or event of poisoning. This formation is not merely a sum of parts but a metaphorical fusion where the action implied by 中 is applied to the substance denoted by 毒, resulting in a new, compound concept that is immediately understood as the condition of toxicity or harmful influence.