arsenic
Use Arsenic in a sentence
sə noun
1.
a grayish-white element having a metallic luster, vaporizing when heated, and forming poisonous compounds. Symbol: As; atomic weight: 74.92; atomic number: 33.
3.
a mineral, the native element, occurring in white or gray masses.
adjective, ar·sen·ic.
4.
of or containing arsenic, especially in the pentavalent state.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English arsenicum < Latin < Greek arsenikón orpiment, noun use of neuter of arsenikós virile (ársēn male, strong + -ikos -ic), probably alteration of Oriental word (perhaps < *arznig, metathetic variant of Syriac zarnig) by folk etymology
1350–1400; Middle English arsenicum < Latin < Greek arsenikón orpiment, noun use of neuter of arsenikós virile (ársēn male, strong + -ikos -ic), probably alteration of Oriental word (perhaps < *arznig, metathetic variant of Syriac zarnig) by folk etymology
Related forms
non·ar·sen·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To arsenic
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Arsenic
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
| arsenic | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a toxic metalloid element, existing in several allotropic forms, that occurs principally in realgar and orpiment and as the free element. It is used in transistors, lead-based alloys, and high-temperature brasses. Symbol: As; atomic no: 33; atomic wt: 74.92159; valency: --3, 0, +3, or +5; relative density: 5.73 (grey); melting pt: 817°C at a pressure of 3MN/m² (grey); sublimes at 613°C (grey) |
| 2. | a nontechnical name for arsenic trioxide |
| —adj | |
| 3. | of or containing arsenic, esp in the pentavalent state |
| [C14: from Latin arsenicum, from Greek arsenikon yellow orpiment, from Syriac zarnīg (influenced in form by Greek arsenikos virile)] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
arsenic
late 14c., from O.Fr. arsenic, from L. arsenicum, from Gk. arsenikon "arsenic," adapted from Syriac (al) zarniqa "arsenic," from Middle Persian zarnik "gold-colored" (arsenic trisulphide has a lemon-yellow color). The Gk. word is folk etymology, from arsen "male, strong, virile" (cf. arseno-koites "lying
with men" in N.T.) supposedly in reference to the powerful properties of the substance. The mineral (as opposed to the element) is properly orpiment, from L. auri pigmentum, so called because it was used to make golden dyes.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
arsenic ar·se·nic (är'sə-nĭk)
n.
Symbol As
A poisonous metallic element having three allotropes, of which the gray form is the most common. Arsenic compounds are used in insecticides and solid-state doping agents. Atomic number 33; atomic weight 74.922; valence 3, 5. Gray arsenic melts at 817°C (at 28 atm pressure), sublimes at 614°C, and has a specific gravity of 5.73. adj. ar·sen·ic (är-sěn'ĭk)
Of or containing arsenic, especially with valence 5.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| arsenic (är'sə-nĭk) Pronunciation Key
Symbol As A metalloid element most commonly occurring as a gray crystal, but also found as a yellow crystal and in other forms. Arsenic and its compounds are highly poisonous and are used to make insecticides, weed killers, and various alloys. Atomic number 33; atomic weight 74.922; valence 3, 5. Gray arsenic melts at 817°C (at 28 atm pressure), sublimes at 613°C, and has a specific gravity of 5.73. See Periodic Table. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Microbes thriving in salty, alkali waters containing arsenic.
Information on arsenic, a potential agent for chemical terrorism.
The films contain gallium arsenide, a mixture of the elements gallium and arsenic that acts as a semiconductor in solar cells.
Plus, pentavalent arsenic is much easier to reduce than pentavalent phosphorus, resulting in oxidative damage.
Images for arsenic
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