arsenical

adjective

ar·​sen·​i·​cal är-ˈse-ni-kəl How to pronounce arsenical (audio)
: of, relating to, containing, or caused by arsenic
arsenical poisoning
arsenical noun

Examples of arsenical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
All the arsenical books — which ranged in price from $150 to $450 — sold within 48 hours. Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 24 July 2024 Museums can then make adjustments where needed, such as enclosing the mounts in airtight glass cases or working with taxidermists to redo the mounts without arsenical pesticides. Katrina Miller, New York Times, 23 Sep. 2023 Thanks to the work of researchers from more than a dozen other institutions and private collections, 101 arsenical books have so far been identified, Tedone says. Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2022 Although others suspected arsenical wallpaper, Morris didn’t believe—or claimed not to believe—that arsenic was bad for you. Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, 3 Apr. 2017 The Industrial Revolution gave rise to a prolific amount of smelting and burning of coal, which released arsenical compounds that then made their way into a variety of products. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 13 Mar. 2017 Although others suspected arsenical wallpaper, Morris didn’t believe—or claimed not to believe—that arsenic was bad for you. Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, 3 Apr. 2017

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin arsenicālis, from Latin arsenicon arsenic entry 1 + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arsenical was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near arsenical

Cite this Entry

“Arsenical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arsenical. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

arsenical

1 of 2 adjective
ar·​sen·​i·​cal är-ˈsen-i-kəl How to pronounce arsenical (audio)
: of, relating to, containing, or caused by arsenic
an arsenical drug
arsenical poisoning

arsenical

2 of 2 noun
: a compound or preparation containing arsenic
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