Arsenous Anhydride (Noun)
Meaning
A white powdered poisonous trioxide of arsenic; used in manufacturing glass and as a pesticide (rat poison) and weed killer.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The manufacturing process of colored glass involved adding small amounts of arsenous anhydride to the molten mixture for the desired tint.
- Exposure to arsenous anhydride, a known poison, led to the untimely demise of the infamous poisoner's unsuspecting victim.
- A highly concentrated solution of arsenous anhydride served as the main active ingredient in many 19th-century pesticides.
- Historical gardening books frequently cautioned readers against inhaling the fine dust of arsenous anhydride while mixing the toxic compound with other weed-killing substances.
- After repeated complaints about contamination and adverse health effects, authorities prohibited the further use of arsenous anhydride as an insecticide and a rodenticide in agricultural applications.