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Glite Dictionary
hydrogen cyanide

hydrogen cyanide

1 7.5
A very poisonous liquid or gas that smells of bitter almonds and can kill if breathed in
  • noun
  • /ˈhaɪdrədʒən saɪˈænɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cianuro de hidrógeno

Examples

  • Traces of hydrogen cyanide, HCN.

    Denial (2016)

  • Po-210 is a million times more toxic than hydrogen cyanide.

    Blog text (21)

  • It's actually hydrogen cyanide.

    Binged to Death (2023)

  • Hydrogen cyanide is known for its hydrogen cyanide smell and can be fatal if inhaled.

  • The factory has strict safety protocols in place to prevent exposure to hydrogen cyanide.

  • Inhaling hydrogen cyanide can lead to serious health issues, including respiratory failure.

Synonyms

prussic
vshydrogen cyanide
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A very poisonous gas called hydrogen cyanide

is the standard chemical name rather than an older alternative
hydrocyanic acid
vshydrogen cyanide
  • Specialized
9.9

A very poisonous liquid used to kill pests and make other chemicals

is the pure volatile form used in manufacturing and deadly if inhaled

Surface Forms

hydrogen cyanide singular
hydrogen cyanides plural

Morphology

hydrogen + cyanide

The term is compositionally built from 'hydrogen' (an element) and 'cyanide' (a poisonous compound), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a cyanide containing hydrogen — i.e. a toxic chemical. This follows regular chemical-naming patterns found across languages, making the core meaning predictable even if some technical details (volatility, specific smell) require specialist knowledge.

Etymology

Hydrogen cyanide tells you what the chemical is made of: hydrogen, a tiny gas, and cyanide. The word 'cyanide' comes from an old word for the color 'blue' because long ago people used similar chemicals to make a deep 'blue' color, and today hydrogen cyanide means a very dangerous 'poison' gas with a bitter-almond smell.