arsenical

American  

[ahr-sen-i-kuhl] / ɑrˈsɛn ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. containing or relating to arsenic.

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noun

1. any of a group of pesticides, drugs, or other compounds containing arsenic.

arsenical British  

/ ɑːˈsɛnɪkəl /

adjective

1. of or containing arsenic

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noun

1. a drug or insecticide containing arsenic

Other Word Forms

• nonarsenical adjective

Etymology

Origin of arsenical

First recorded in 1595–1605; arsenic + -al ¹

Example Sentences

“Anyone who has watched the dusters and sprayers of arsenical insecticides at work must have been impressed by the almost supreme carelessness with which these poisonous substances are dispensed.”

From The New Yorker • Jan. 3, 2017

Tobacco grown in the eastern Mediterranean countries, where arsenical insecticides are not used, has shown no such increase in arsenic content.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 3, 2017

As pests evolved resistance to arsenical pesticides and as chemical companies supplanted arsenicals with newer products, arsenicals fell out of favor.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2012

An arsenical paint pigment called Paris green was first used against Colorado potato beetles in 1867.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2012

“Anyone who has watched the dusters and sprayers of arsenical insecticides at work must have been impressed by the almost supreme carelessness with which the poisonous substances are dispensed.”

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson