prussic
- adjective
- /ˈprʌsɪk/
- Archaic
:
prúsico
- The chemical structure of prussic acid makes it one of the most dangerous substances.
- prussic acid
Examples
-
Before downing the deadly draught of prussic acid, he had written out
Fiction book (1995) -
Well, I'm assuming you suspect a combination... of prussic acid and DMSO... but then the reaction time would have been immediate.
-
Fashionable women also bathed their eyes in prussic acid, a highly poisonous liquid, to enhance their whiteness and brilliance.
Blog text (19) -
If you handle prussic acid, always wear protective gloves due to its extreme toxicity.
-
Farmers must test their crops regularly to avoid prussic acid poisoning in livestock.
Compounds
- Archaic
A very poisonous liquid made from hydrogen cyanide and water used to kill pests
Surface Forms
Morphology
prussic = Prussia (opaque) = pruss + ic
Although morphologically formed from 'Prussia' + '-ic', the adjective refers to the chemical 'prussic acid' and this meaning is not deducible from the place name by average learners.
Etymology
Prussic comes from Prussian blue, a deep blue dye first made in old Prussia. Chemists later named a dangerous acid after that dye, so prussic describes something 'containing prussic acid', another name for 'hydrogen cyanide'.
