Definition

Noun: 1. A poisonous white powder: A common name for arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃), a highly toxic, white, odorless powder historically and commercially used as a poison, pesticide, and in some industrial processes.

Usage and Examples

• As a substance: The term is used to refer to the physical compound itself.
  • The old warehouse was found to contain barrels of white arsenic.
  • Historically, white arsenic was infamously used as an undetectable poison.
• In historical/industrial context: It is often mentioned in contexts relating to its past uses.
  • Before modern regulations, white arsenic was a common ingredient in rat poisons and weed killers.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative use for extreme toxicity: While less common, the term can be used metaphorically to describe something profoundly corrupting or poisonous in a non-literal sense.
  • The propaganda was a kind of white arsenic for the public mind.

Variants and Related Words

• Arsenic trioxide: The precise chemical name for the compound.
• Arsenic (As): The elemental form. "White arsenic" is a compound containing arsenic.
• Arsenous oxide: Another technical name for the same compound.

Synonyms

• Arsenic trioxide
• Arsenous oxide
• (Historical/contextual) Ratsbane

Notes on Meaning

The term specifically denotes the trioxide compound (As₂O₃), not elemental arsenic. Its defining characteristics are its white color, powdered form, and high toxicity. Its primary associations are with poison, danger, and historical uses in pest control.

Noun

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