arsenous oxide
Học thuậtThân thiện
A chemist carefully handles a sealed container of arsenous oxide in the laboratory.
Definition
Noun: 1. A poisonous white powder: A chemical compound consisting of arsenic and oxygen (specifically arsenic trioxide, As₂O₃). It is highly toxic and has historically been used for various purposes, including as a poison.
Usage
This term is a specific chemical name. It is used in formal, scientific, or historical contexts. * Scientific/Industrial Context: The process required the addition of arsenous oxide. * Historical/Toxicological Context: In the 19th century, arsenous oxide was a common ingredient in some medicines and poisons.
Advanced Usage
- As a deliberate poison: Historically, arsenous oxide was infamous for its use in homicide due to its potency and the difficulty of detection in past centuries. It is sometimes referred to by its common name, "white arsenic."
Variants and Related Words
- Arsenic trioxide (n): The modern, more precise IUPAC name for the same compound (As₂O₃).
- White arsenic (n): A common historical name for arsenous oxide, referring to its typical powdered form.
Synonyms
- Arsenic trioxide
- White arsenic
Related Phrases/Idioms
- "A dose of arsenic": While not specific to arsenous oxide, this phrase is culturally associated with poisoning. Arsenous oxide was a typical form of "arsenic" used for this purpose.
- The mystery novel hinted the victim had been given a dose of arsenic.
A chemist carefully handles a sealed container of arsenous oxide in the laboratory.
Noun
- a white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer