sodium cyanide
1
7.2
- noun
- /ˈsoʊdiəm ˈsaɪənaɪd/
- Specialized
:
cianuro de sodio
- The recent regulations will affect the use of sodium cyanide in various industrial processes, including electroplating.
Examples
-
Sodium cyanide.
Fiction book (1997) -
In mining, a weak solution of sodium cyanide is sprayed over the mountain of ore to extract precious metals.
-
To ensure safety, workers handling sodium cyanide must wear protective gear due to its high toxicity.
Synonyms
74
7.9
A very poisonous chemical often found as a salt
How Hazardous
- Specialized
1
7.2
- Specialized
1
5.5
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
3
2.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is a straightforward chemical compound name composed of the element 'sodium' and the anion 'cyanide', so a learner who knows both words can infer it is the cyanide salt of sodium and therefore a poisonous chemical. This follows standard, cross-linguistic chemical naming conventions (metal + anion), so the meaning is predictable rather than idiomatic, making it transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
The name sodium cyanide combines sodium (the metal) and cyanide, a word taken from Greek for the dark 'blue' color because early scientists worked with a deep blue substance. So the name simply means the metal plus the cyanide part, and today sodium cyanide is known as a very strong 'poison' often used in mining.