arsenic

1 of 2

noun

ar·​se·​nic
ˈärs-nik,
ˈär-sə- How to pronounce arsenic (audio)
1
: a solid chemical element that is used especially in wood preservatives, alloys, and semiconductors and is extremely toxic in both pure and combined forms see Chemical Elements Table
2
: a poisonous trioxide As2O3 or As4O6 of arsenic used especially as an insecticide or weed killer

called also arsenic trioxide

arsenic

2 of 2

adjective

ar·​sen·​ic är-ˈse-nik How to pronounce arsenic (audio)
: of, relating to, or containing arsenic especially with a valence of five

Examples of arsenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Because arsenic can be found naturally in soil, plants can absorb small amounts, which is why the heavy metal can be found in some foods like rice. —Chantelle Lee, TIME, 2 Aug. 2024 The products were tested to see whether the heavy metals lead, cadmium or arsenic were in them. —Akshay Syal, M.d., NBC News, 31 July 2024
Adjective
The research team concluded that the Dutch artist intentionally mixed these particular arsenic sulfide pigments with other pigments to create the golden sheen. —George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 26 July 2024 Artists throughout history have used naturally occurring orpiment and realgar, as well as artificial arsenic sulfide pigments, to get yellow, orange, and red hues in their paints. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for arsenic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arsenic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English arsenek, arsenic "any of various compounds of arsenic, as yellow orpiment (arsenic trisulfide)," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French arsenik, arsneke, borrowed from Latin arrhenicum, arsenicon, borrowed from Greek arsenikón, arrhenikón, probably borrowed from Aramaic zarnīḵ "arsenic" or a cognate Semitic word, borrowed from an unattested form in a Middle Iranian language (whence Persian zarnī, zarnīk "orpiment, arsenic"), a derivative of the word for "gold" (as Manichaean Parthian zrn /zarn/ "gold," zrnyn /zarnēn/ "golden"), alluding to the yellow color of orpiment

Note: The Greek word is assumed to have been reshaped by folk-etymological association with arsenikós, arrhenikós "male, masculine." Aramaic zarnīḵ is attested in a papyrus text (an order to repair a boat) dated January, 411 b.c., found in elephantine, Egypt (see A. Cowley, Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C., Oxford, 1923, pp. 88-97; B. Porten, The Elephantine Papyri in English: Three Millennia of Cross-Cultural Continuity and Change, Brill, 1996, pp. 115-22); the word is also attested in Syriac a number of centuries later. The Manichaean Parthian forms are from D. Durkin-Meisterernst, Dictionary of Manichaean Texts, vol. III, Part 1, Dictionary of Manichaean Middle Persian and Parthian, Brepols, 2004. Parthian zrn and zrnyn are continuations of an Old Iranian etymon represented by Avestan zarańiia- "gold"—see note at gold entry 1.

Adjective

from attributive or compound use of arsenic entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arsenic was in 1747

Dictionary Entries Near arsenic

arsenian

arsenic

arsenical

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Arsenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arsenic. Accessed 11 Sep. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

arsenic

noun
ar·​se·​nic
ˈärs-nik,
-ᵊn-ik
1
: a solid poisonous element that is commonly metallic steel-gray and brittle see element
2
: a white or transparent extremely poisonous oxide of arsenic used especially in insecticides

Medical Definition

arsenic

1 of 2 noun
ar·​se·​nic ˈärs-nik, -ᵊn-ik How to pronounce arsenic (audio)
1
: a trivalent and pentavalent solid poisonous element that is commonly metallic steel-gray, crystalline, and brittle
—symbol As see Chemical Elements Table
2
: arsenic trioxide

arsenic

2 of 2 adjective
ar·​sen·​ic är-ˈsen-ik How to pronounce arsenic (audio)
: of, relating to, or containing arsenic especially with a valence of five

More from Merriam-Webster on arsenic

Nglish: Translation of arsenic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about arsenic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Absent Letters That Are Heard Anyway

How to Use Accents and Diacritical Marks
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

7 Shakespearean Insults to Make Life More Interesting

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
cow coming home
Farm Idioms Quiz If you've got a pig in a poke - what exactly is a...