VX gas
1
9.9
- noun
- /viː ɛks ɡæs/
- Offensive
:
gas VX
- God willing, in less than 48 hours we will evacuate this island in gunships... under cover of hostages and VX gas warheads.
Examples
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The military has warned that VX gas is extremely dangerous and can cause death within minutes.
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- What do you know about VX gas?
-
It's loaded with VX gas.
-
Well, let me tell you what is: 15 VX gas rockets into the heart of San Francisco.
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A battery of VX gas rockets is presently deployed to deliver... a highly lethal strike on the population of the San Francisco Bay area.
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During the investigation, authorities discovered that the facility was linked to the illegal production of VX gas.
-
VX gas was used in the attack, resulting in severe neurological damage to the victims.
Synonyms
19
6.8
A very poisonous gas that stops people breathing, often used as a weapon
13
8.8
A very poisonous chemical used as a weapon that stops the nerves from working and makes people stop breathing
12
5.7
A harmful gas used as a weapon that can kill or make people very sick if they breathe it
How Toxic
- Offensive
1
9.9
- NSFW
13
8.8
367
2.1
380
4.0
15
6.0
231
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
VX + GA
The label 'VX' is an arbitrary alphanumeric code/name with no lexical meaning that would indicate toxicity, while 'gas' only signals a physical state. The specific sense 'highly toxic nerve agent' cannot be derived from the constituents alone, so a B1 learner who only knows the literal words would not predict the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
VX gas began as a short code name used by scientists and the military to label a very powerful 'nerve poison'. Because that code name stuck, VX gas is now the common name for an extremely toxic chemical that attacks the nerves and can kill in tiny amounts, so its production and use are banned.