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Glite Dictionary
arsenous oxide

arsenous oxide

9.8
A poisonous white powder that people use to make glass and to kill pests or weeds
  • noun
  • /ˈɑːrsənəs ˈaɪkaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : óxido arsenioso
  • Glass manufacturers once used arsenous oxide to decolorize glass during production.

Examples

  • Exposure to arsenous oxide can pose serious health risks if safety precautions are not followed.

  • Many pesticides contain arsenous oxide as an active ingredient.

  • Laboratory tests revealed the presence of arsenous oxide in the contaminated water sample.

  • The factory produces arsenous oxide for use in glass manufacturing.

  • Many pesticides contain arsenous oxide as an active ingredient.

  • Glass manufacturers once used arsenous oxide to decolorize glass during production.

  • Laboratory tests revealed the presence of arsenous oxide in the contaminated water sample.

Synonyms

arsenic
vsarsenous oxide
  • Specialized
6 6.6

A white poisonous powder used as rat poison and to make glass

is the specific chemical name rather than the broad label
white arsenic
vsarsenous oxide
  • Archaic
1 9.3

A poisonous white powder used to kill pests and make glass

is the formal chemical name rather than a color description
arsenic trioxide
vsarsenous oxide
  • Specialized
8.1

A white poisonous powder used to make glass and kill pests

is an alternative technical name used for the same compound
arsenous anhydride
vsarsenous oxide
  • Specialized
9.9

A white poisonous powder used in glass making and in products that kill pests

is the more common technical name in modern usage
ratsbane
vsarsenous oxide
  • Archaic
9.9

A poisonous substance for killing rats, often made from arsenic trioxide

is the precise chemical name, not the general or historical label

Surface Forms

arsenous oxide singular
arsenous oxides plural

Morphology

arsenous + oxide

The noun is compositionally formed from 'arsenous' (derived from arsenic, i.e. related to or containing arsenic) and 'oxide' (a compound formed with oxygen), so its sense 'an oxide of arsenic (As2O3)' is directly derivable. It is a technical term but follows regular morphological and semantic composition, so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer the MWE.

Etymology

Arsenous oxide gets its name from two parts: arsenous from the word 'arsenic', a very poisonous metal, and oxide meaning 'combined with oxygen'. So it literally means arsenic joined with oxygen, and that is why the name refers to the toxic white powder once used in glassmaking and as a pesticide.