cyanide Hear it!

cyanide Definition

cya·nide (ə nīd′, -nid′)

noun

a substance composed of a cyanogen group in combination with some element or radical; esp., potassium cyanide, KCN, or sodium cyanide, NaCN, extremely poisonous, white, crystalline compounds with an odor of bitter almonds: used in extracting gold from low-grade ores, electroplating, etc.

Etymology: cyan(o)- + -ide

transitive verb -·nid′ed, -·nid′·ing

to treat with cyanide

cyanide Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • potassium: He was carrying cyanide of potassium, a deadly poison, which he gave to Sarah in a glass of stout.

Converse of object

  • contain: The cleaner does not contain any cyanide or environmentally unfriendly detergent compounds.
  • use: The majority of them are stunned by divers who use cyanide to poison the waters around them.
  • take: He died in 1954 from taking potassium cyanide at his home where he was performing electrolysis experiments.
  • include: A cigarette butt contains up to 4,000 chemicals, including hydrogen cyanide and arsenic.
  • say: Police said no cyanide or noxious gas had been found on the men when they were arrested on 9 November.
  • absorb: Smokers should note that the cyanide absorbed from the smoke into the blood causes the replacement of the 5'-deoxyadenosyl group by a cyanide.

Preposition: in

  • water: Note: A solution of potassium cyanide in water is quite alkaline, and contains significant amounts of hydroxide ions.

Modifies a noun

  • poisoning: Vapors sniffed to counter the effects of cyanide poisoning.
  • capsule: They [ the Germans ] cannot have poured cyanide capsules through that roof.
  • ion: The cyanide ion comes from hydrogen cyanide, which is a covalent molecule.
  • toxicity: Plasma lactate measured at the time of admission has been shown to correlate with cyanide toxicity.
  • compound: Terrorists have considered using a number of toxic cyanide compounds.
  • pill: Ah, the imagination of the young generation, better take your cyanide pills now.

Noun used with modifier

  • hydrogen: The cyanide ion comes from hydrogen cyanide, which is a covalent molecule.
  • potassium: Death was clearly caused by taking a very large quantity of potassium cyanide.
  • sodium: You could tolerate the dreaded sodium cyanide at many millions of times the concentration.
  • methyl: The old name for this would have been methyl cyanide.
  • blood: Applications so far include the determination of blood cyanide and the generation of oxygen radicals.

Browse dictionary entries near cyanide

  1. cyanic acid
  2. cyanic
  3. cyanate
  4. cyanamide
  5. cyan-
  6. cyan
  7. -cy
  8. cy-pres
  9. cwt
  10. CWO
  1. cyanide process
  2. cyanine
  3. cyanite
  4. cyano-
  5. cyanobacteria
  6. cyanocobalamin
  7. cyanogen
  8. cyanohydrin
  9. cyanosis
  10. cyanurate