prussic acid

noun

, Chemistry.

1. hydrocyanic acid.

prussic acid

/ ˈprʌsɪk /

noun

1. the weakly acidic extremely poisonous aqueous solution of hydrogen cyanide

prussic acid

/ prŭs′ĭk /

1. See hydrocyanic acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of prussic acid¹

1780–90; translation of French acide prussique (equivalent to Prusse Prussia + -ique -ic ); so called because it was first obtained by heating Prussian blue with sulfuric acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of prussic acid¹

C18: from French acide prussique Prussian acid, so called because obtained from Prussian blue

Example Sentences

The police also found no medicines in Orme's rooms except for a bottle of sleeping pills and two labels - that of arsenic and prussic acid.

From BBC

The factory had been producing acrylic glass and prussic acid.

From BBC

Other sinister details emerged: Lizzie was reportedly seen trying to buy highly poisonous prussic acid the day before the killings.

From New York Times

“I would rather give a healthy boy or a healthy girl a phial of prussic acid than this novel,” wrote the editor of the Sunday Express.

From The Guardian

We believed it was prussic acid, a worrying thought since we knew that our gas masks provided no protection against that chemical.

From The Guardian