hydrogen cyanide

noun

1. a colorless poisonous gas, HCN, having a bitter almondlike odor: in aqueous solution it forms hydrocyanic acid.

hydrogen cyanide

noun

1. a colourless poisonous liquid with a faint odour of bitter almonds, usually made by a catalysed reaction between ammonia, oxygen, and methane. It forms prussic acid in aqueous solution and is used for making plastics and dyes and as a war gas. Formula: HCN Also calledhydrocyanic acid

hydrogen cyanide

1. A colorless, flammable, extremely poisonous liquid. Salts derived from it have many industrial uses, such as hardening iron and steel, extracting metals from ores, electroplating metallic surfaces, and making acrylonitrile, from which acrylic fibers and plastics are produced. It is also used to make dyes and poisons. A solution of hydrogen cyanide in water forms a colorless acid called hydrocyanic acid. Chemical formula: HCN.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrogen cyanide¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Supervisor Nora Vargas’ office said in an email that “there is no imminent threat to public health from hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide.”

From Los Angeles Times

They accessed public health documents that stated firefighters found hydrogen cyanide in their home, but no carbon monoxide.

From BBC

The levels of hydrogen cyanide -- which disrupts the body's use of oxygen and can cause death -- and four other VOCs were at least 1.8-fold higher near the incidence site.

From Science Daily

Instead, they suspected that tiger beetles, which produce benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide as defensive chemicals, were using ultrasound to warn bats that they are noxious -- like many moths do.

From Science Daily

In the new study, published in the journal Science, the research team created the compound in water at room temperature using molecules formed from hydrogen cyanide, which was likely abundant on early Earth.

From Science Daily