cyanide radical
- noun
- /ˈsaɪənaɪd ˈrædɪkəl/
- Specialized
:
radical cianuro
- When combined with certain metals, the cyanide radical forms stable salts.
Examples
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The cyanide radical is highly reactive and can be found in many industrial compounds.
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The cyanide radical is highly toxic.
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Accidental exposure to a substance containing the cyanide radical can be extremely dangerous.
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Researchers study the cyanide radicals in various compounds.
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Accidental exposure to a substance containing the cyanide radical can be extremely dangerous.
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The cyanide radical is highly reactive and can be found in many industrial compounds.
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When combined with certain metals, the cyanide radical forms stable salts.
Synonyms
A small part of a molecule with one carbon joined to one nitrogen by three bonds written −CN
A small group of one carbon and one nitrogen atom, written -CN, found in many chemicals and often poisonous
A small chemical group made of one carbon and one nitrogen atom that attaches to other molecules, written as −CN
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built: it denotes a 'radical' that is of or derived from 'cyanide' (i.e. a reactive -CN species). If a B1 learner knows 'cyanide' (a cyanide compound) and 'radical' (a highly reactive chemical species), they can infer it refers to a reactive cyanide species, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Cyanide radical comes from old chemistry words: cyanide came from a word for 'dark blue' because early chemists saw a blue dye, and radical once meant 'root' or a small 'group' of atoms. So the name points to the little atomic 'root' -CN that acts as one piece inside many chemicals, which is why we use the term for that chemical group.
