arsenic
Meanings
Plural: arsenics
Noun
- a white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer
- 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
- A toxic grey brittle nonmetallic chemical element (symbol As) with an atomic number of 33.
- A single atom of this element.
- Arsenic trioxide.
Adj
- Of or containing arsenic with a valence of 5.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English arsenik, borrowed from Middle French arsenic, from Latin arsenicum, from Ancient Greek ἀρσενικόν (arsenikón, “yellow arsenic”) (influenced by ἀρσενικός (arsenikós, “potent, virile”)), from Semitic (compare Classical Syriac ܙܪܢܝܟܐ (zarnīḵā), Aramaic 𐡆𐡓𐡍𐡉𐡊𐡀 (zrnykʾ /zarnīḵā/)), from Middle Iranian *zarnīk (compare Persian زرنی (zarni, “arsenic”)), from Old Median *zaraniyakā (compare Avestan 𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬀 (zaraniia, “golden”), Old Persian 𐎭𐎼𐎴𐎹 (d-r-n-y /daraniyaʰ/, “gold”), Sanskrit हिरण्य (híraṇya, “gold”), Persian زر (zar, “gold”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃-. More at yellow.
Synonyms
arsenic trioxide, arsenous anhydride, arsenous oxide, As, atomic number 33, ratsbane, white arsenic
Scrabble Score: 9
arsenic is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordarsenic is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
arsenic is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary