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cyanide group

cyanide group

6.4
A small group of one carbon and one nitrogen atom, written -CN, found in many chemicals and often poisonous
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪəˌnaɪd ɡruːp/
  • Specialized
translation icon : grupo cianuro
  • The cyanide group is often found in organic compounds called nitriles.

Examples

  • The presence of a cyanide group is responsible for the compound's toxicity.

  • During synthesis, a cyanide group can be introduced to alter the molecule's properties.

  • The cyanide group is highly toxic.

  • In chemistry, the cyanide group plays a crucial role.

  • In many pesticides, a cyanide group is utilized to enhance its effectiveness against pests.

  • The chemical structure of many dyes includes a cyanide group, which contributes to their vibrant colors.

  • Researchers studied how the cyanide group affects the stability of certain chemical compounds.

Synonyms

cyano group
vscyanide group
  • Specialized
7.0

A small part of a molecule with one carbon joined to one nitrogen by three bonds written −CN

is the broader chemical term applied across various compound types
cyano radical
vscyanide group
  • Specialized
9.3

A small chemical group made of one carbon and one nitrogen atom that attaches to other molecules, written as −CN

is used more generally across many compound classes
cyanide radical
vscyanide group
  • Specialized
8.4

A small chemical group made of one carbon and one nitrogen atom written as -CN

is the general name for the same group across many compounds

Surface Forms

cyanide group singular

Morphology

cyanide + group

Given knowledge of 'cyanide' as the chemical ion/functional moiety and 'group' as a bonded assembly of atoms, 'cyanide group' straightforwardly denotes the -CN functional group. This is a compositional, domain-specific noun–noun combination (common in chemistry and cross-linguistically similar), so its meaning is predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Cyanide group comes from cyan, an old word for 'dark blue', because early chemists found deep blue substances made from chemicals that had this same part. Today cyanide group means the small chemical part -CN, and because that part often makes compounds poisonous, the name became associated with 'poison'.