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Glite Dictionary
potassium bromide

potassium bromide

7.7
A white salt once used to calm people and in old photography
  • noun
  • /pəˈtæsiəm ˈbroʊmaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bromuro de potasio
  • Doctors once prescribed potassium bromide as a sedative to treat anxiety and epilepsy.

Examples

  • Potassium bromide was widely used in 19th-century photography to aid the development process.

  • Handling potassium bromide requires care due to potential health risks if ingested in large amounts.

  • The doctor prescribed potassium bromide for her anxiety.

  • Many photographers used potassium bromide in the darkroom.

  • Potassium bromide was widely used in 19th-century photography to aid the development process.

  • Doctors once prescribed potassium bromide as a sedative to treat anxiety and epilepsy.

  • Many photographers used potassium bromide in the darkroom.

Synonyms

bromide
vspotassium bromide
  • Archaic
4 8.9

A salt once used in medicine to calm people

is a specific crystalline salt of that group used as a sedative and in photography

Surface Forms

potassium bromide singular
potassium bromides plural

Morphology

potassium + bromide

The phrase is directly compositional: it denotes the chemical compound made from the element 'potassium' and the 'bromide' ion, so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it refers to that salt/compound. This follows standard chemical naming conventions common across languages; although a B1 learner might not know specific uses (sedative/photography), the basic referent as a chemical compound is transparent.

Etymology

Potassium bromide simply names the substance: it is a salt made from potassium and bromide, so the words tell you what is inside. In the 1800s this salt was used as a 'sedative' to calm people and also in early photography to help make images, so the name brings to mind both a medicine and a photographic chemical.