cyanide

noun

cy·​a·​nide ˈsī-ə-ˌnīd How to pronounce cyanide (audio)
-nəd
1
: a compound of cyanogen with a more electropositive element or group: such as
2

Examples of cyanide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Traces of cyanide were found in the victim's body and her money, phone and bags were missing, the BBC reported, citing police. Becca Longmire, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024 In June, a spill at a mine owned by the Canadian company Victoria Gold contaminated a Yukon watershed with 2 million tonnes of material contaminated with cyanide, forcing the closure of the mine and leaving taxpayers with $111 million in restoration costs. Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024 Their case alleged that thousands of gallons of water runoff from the system, containing pollutants like cyanide, copper, and chromium, have spilled into sensitive local waterways, according to government documents obtained by NPR. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Oct. 2024 In 1946: Nazi leader Hermann Goering, who was convicted during the Nuremberg trials, committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule in his prison cell hours before his scheduled hanging for war crimes. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cyanide 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cyanide was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near cyanide

Cite this Entry

“Cyanide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyanide. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

cyanide

noun
cy·​a·​nide ˈsī-ə-ˌnīd How to pronounce cyanide (audio)
-nəd
: a very poisonous compound consisting of carbon and nitrogen with either sodium or potassium

Medical Definition

cyanide

noun
cy·​a·​nide ˈsī-ə-ˌnīd, -nəd How to pronounce cyanide (audio)
: any of several compounds (as potassium cyanide) that contain the radical CN having a chemical valence of one, react with and inactivate respiratory enzymes, and are rapidly lethal producing drowsiness, tachycardia, coma, and finally death

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