noun Uncommon

cyanide

SEYE-uh-nyd

Cyanide (noun) means any of a group of highly toxic chemical compounds containing a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Example: “Cyanide compounds are used in some industrial processes despite their extreme toxicity.”

noun

Any of a group of highly toxic chemical compounds containing a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.

"Cyanide compounds are used in some industrial processes despite their extreme toxicity."

Sodium or potassium cyanide, a fast-acting poison, or hydrogen cyanide gas.

"The detective suspected cyanide poisoning as the cause of death."

verb

To treat, extract, or kill using cyanide.

"Miners once cyanided ore to separate out traces of gold."

How to use cyanide

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA highly poisonous chemical, famous as a deadly poison but also used industrially, notably in gold extraction.

Common pairings

cyanide poisoning potassium cyanide cyanide gas

Word forms

cyanided past tense, cyanides plural, cyanides singular

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_____ compounds are used in some industrial processes despite their extreme toxicity.

Etymology

From cyan- (referring to the blue pigment Prussian blue, in which the compound was first identified) plus the chemical suffix -ide.

Origin: Russian

Synonyms

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nitril nitrile

Related words

nitrile

Rhymes for cyanide

ide tide hide ride wide side bide aide abide slide bride guide

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Frequently asked questions

What does “cyanide” mean?

The word “cyanide” means any of a group of highly toxic chemical compounds containing a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. In plain terms, a highly poisonous chemical, famous as a deadly poison but also used industrially, notably in gold extraction.

How do you pronounce “cyanide”?

“Cyanide” is pronounced SEYE-uh-nyd (/ˈsaɪənaɪd/ in IPA).

How do you use “cyanide” in a sentence?

Here is “cyanide” used in a sentence: “Cyanide compounds are used in some industrial processes despite their extreme toxicity.”

What part of speech is “cyanide”?

Depending on how it is used, “cyanide” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “cyanide” come from?

The word “cyanide” comes from Russian. From cyan- (referring to the blue pigment Prussian blue, in which the compound was first identified) plus the chemical suffix -ide.

Is “cyanide” a common word?

“Cyanide” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “cyanide” have?

“Cyanide” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: any of a group of highly toxic chemical compounds containing a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.

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