ARSENIC

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does arsenic mean? 

• ARSENIC (noun)
  The noun ARSENIC has 2 senses:

1. a white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer

2. a very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms; arsenic and arsenic compounds are used as herbicides and insecticides and various alloys; found in arsenopyrite and orpiment and realgar

  Familiarity information: ARSENIC used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ARSENIC (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

arsenic; arsenic trioxide; arsenous anhydride; arsenous oxide; ratsbane; white arsenic

Hypernyms ("arsenic" is a kind of...):

trioxide (an oxide containing three atoms of oxygen in the molecule)

Derivation:

arsenical (relating to or containing arsenic)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms; arsenic and arsenic compounds are used as herbicides and insecticides and various alloys; found in arsenopyrite and orpiment and realgar

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

arsenic; As; atomic number 33

Hypernyms ("arsenic" is a kind of...):

chemical element; element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)

Holonyms ("arsenic" is a substance of...):

arsenopyrite; mispickel (a silver-white or grey ore of arsenic)

orpiment (a yellow mineral occurring in conjunction with realgar; an ore of arsenic)

realgar (a rare soft orange mineral consisting of arsenic sulphide; an important ore of arsenic)

herbicide; weed killer; weedkiller (a chemical agent that destroys plants or inhibits their growth)

insect powder; insecticide (a chemical used to kill insects)

Derivation:

arsenical (relating to or containing arsenic)

arsenious (relating to compounds in which arsenic is trivalent)

 Context examples 

Arsenic can get into air, water, and the ground from wind-blown dust.

(Arsenic, Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry)

A white, odorless, inorganic substance that contains the semi-metallic element arsenic usually in the 3 and 5-valence state, and emits toxic arsenic fumes when heated to decomposition.

(Arsenic Compound, NCI Thesaurus)

In the study, the mice were given arsenic three weeks before breeding and throughout pregnancy and lactation.

(Low doses of arsenic cause cancer in male mice, NIH)

Roderigo rent his chains asunder manfully, and Hugo died in agonies of remorse and arsenic, with a wild, "Ha! Ha!"

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A small-molecule arsenic compound with antineoplastic activity.

(Arsenic trioxide, NCI Thesaurus)

A skin disease marked by scaly or thickened patches on the skin, and often caused by prolonged exposure to arsenic.

(Cutaneous Precancerous Condition, NCI Dictionary)

Compared to inorganic arsenic compounds such as arsenic trioxide (As2O3), darinaparsin appears to exhibit a wide therapeutic window.

(Darinaparsin, NCI Thesaurus)

Forms of the element arsenic found in foods.

(Dietary Arsenic, NCI Thesaurus/CRCH)

UV damage and ingestion of inorganic arsenic may play a role in the development of the disease.

(Bowen Disease of the Skin, NCI Thesaurus)

A skin disease marked by scaly or thickened patches on the skin and often caused by prolonged exposure to arsenic.

(Bowen disease, NCI Dictionary)