22C:096
Computation, Information, and Description
Department of Computer Science
The University of Iowa
The Self-Incrimination Principle
Definition of "arsenic"
Not to be confused with "antimony." To
be confused with Arsenio.
From Webster's New World Dictionary.
- arsenic
- 1. a silvery-white, brittle, very poisonous chemical element,
compounds of which are used in making insecticides, medicines,
etc. 2. loosely, arsenic trioxide, a very poisonous compound of
arsenic: it is a white, tasteless powder.
From the Oxford English Dictionary.
- arsenic, sb.[1] Forms: 4-5 arsnek, arsenyk, arcenyk, arsynek,
6 arsenik, arsnecke, 6-8 arsenick(e, 7 arsnic, -nike, 7-8 arsnick,
7-arsenic; also in Lat. form. [a. OFr. arsenic (14th c. in Littre),
ad.
L. arsenicum (arrenicum), a. Gr. pocvik v ( ppcvik v) `yellow
orpiment,' subst. use of ppcvik s adj. `masculine, male.']
- 1 Name of one of the chemical elements, and of some of
its compounds,
which are violent poisons.
a orig. A bright yellow mineral (hence also distinguished as yellow
arsenic), found native, and as a product of art, properly called
ORPIMENT (auri pigmentum of the Romans, pocvik v of the Greeks),
which is
chemically the trisulphide of arsenic (As[2]S[3]), and is used as a
pigment under the name of King's Yellow.
C. 1386 CHAUCER Chan. Yem. Prol. & T. 245 Arsnek [v.r. arsenyk(e,
arcenyk, arsynek], sal armoniak, and brimstoon. 1398 TREVISA Barth. De
P.R. XIX. xxx. (1495) 878 Arsenicum hyghte Auripigmentum for the colour
of golde and is gaderyd in Pontus. 1567 MAPLET Gr. Forest 10 The stone
Arsenick..which also they call the golden earth. 1601 HOLLAND Pliny II.
521 As for Arsenicke..that which is best of this kind, resembleth
burnished gold in colour. 1634 R. H. Salerne Regim. 158 Auripigmentum
which
some Arsenicke call.
b Formerly, sometimes extended to the disulphide (As[2]S[2]), a native
mineral and product of art, commonly known as REALGAR, or ruby sulphur,
formerly also as red orpiment, and red arsenic (the oavoap kn, sandaraca
of the Greeks and Romans).
1591 PERCIVALL Sp. Dict., Rejalgar, poison, arsenicke, or ratsebane.
1599 THYNNE Animadv. 36 This Resalgar is that whiche by some is called
Ratisbane, a kynde of poysone named Arsenicke. 1751 CHAMBERS Cycl. s.v.,
There are divers kinds of Arsenic. Orpiment is called native or yellow
arsenic..Red arsenick is a preparation of the white or crystalline
Arsenic.
c in pop. use: A white mineral substance, native (as ARSENOLITE) and
manufactured, originally distinguished as white arsenic, which is
chemically the trioxide of arsenic (As[2]O[3]). flowers of arsenic:
the same
substance sublimed.
1605 TIMME Quersit. I. vii. 26 White sublimate and arsnic..foster and
hide most burning and deadly fire. 1672 DAVENANT Wits (1673) 193 Arsnick
my Girl to strengthen thy Aunts Broth. 1675 News fr. Ring-Cross 3
Another time putting white Arsenick into her broth. 1727-51 CHAMBERS
Cycl. s.v., Arsenic is made by sublimation from cobalt. 1788-9 HOWARD
Encycl. s.v., White arsenic, or arsenic strictly so called..is a most
violent poison to all animals. 1813 SIR H. DAVY Agric. Chem. ii. (1814)
49 Arsenic may be procured by heating the powder of common white arsenic
of the shops strongly in a Florence flask with oil. 1863 WATTS Dict.
Chem. I. 374 The Tyrolese peasants are said to swallow arsenic in
considerable quantities. 1877 ROSCOE, etc. Chem. (1881) I. 516 White
arsenic or the trioxide is first distinctly spoken of by Geber, who
states that he obtained it by roasting the sulphide of arsenic.
d Chem. and Min. The element: a very brittle semi-metallic substance,
of steel-grey lustrous colour, crystallizing in rhombohedrons, and
volatilizing without fusion, with an odour of garlic. It forms a link
between the metals, and non-metallic bodies: see ANTIMONY. Symbol As.
native arsenic: the above element occurring as a mineral. antimonial
a.: a native alloy of arsenic with antimony.
1812 SIR H. DAVY Chem. Philos. 453 A metal sublimes, and condenses in
the upper part of the vessel, which is arsenic. 1837-68 DANA Min. 18
Native arsenic commonly occurs in veins in crystalline rocks and the
older schists. 1863 WATTS Dict. Chem. I. 360 Native arsenic forms
botryoidal, kidney-shaped, spherical and conchoidal masses. 1869 ROSCOE
Elem. Chem. 163 Arsenic closely resembles phosphorus in its chemical
properties. 1879 Academy 27 Dec. 467 Arsenic is definitely regarded as a
non-metal.
e fig. Poison.
1598 SYLVESTER Du Bartas 69 Neither in Golden Platters doth he lick
For sweet ambrosia deadly arsenick. C. 1630 DRUMM. OF HAWTH. Wks. 1711,
33 Since hell disgorg'd her baneful arsenick.
2 attrib. = Of arsenic, arsenical; esp. in Chem. in systematic names
of compounds, as arsenic trihydride = trihydride of arsenic, pentoxide,
disulphide. arsenic bloom, arsenic trioxide in native crystals, arising
from the oxidation of elementary arsenic.
arsenic glass, the same in a vitreous mass obtained from the powder by
re-sublimation.
1656 EVELYN Mem. (1857) I. 333 Deprived of their sulphur and arsenic
malignity. 1799 G. SMITH Laboratory I. 218 Add eight or ten ounces of
arsenic glass. 1860 ROSCOE (title) On the alleged practice of Arsenic
eating in Styria. 1881 ROSCOE ( Chem. I. 528 The reasons which the
arsenic-eaters give for the practice. 1881 ROSCOE ( Chem., I. 528 An
antidote against arsenic poisoning.
- 'arsenic, sb.[2] Herb. Obs. Arsesmart.
- 1552 HULOET, Arsenicke herbe, Artonicum. 1570 LEVINS Manip., Arnsnick,
herb, artonicum. 1585 Nomenclator 126 Water-pepper or arsenicke: some
call it kill-ridge or culerage.
- arsenic, a. Chem. [f. ARSENIC sb.[1], the ending being
identified with -IC in nitric, phosphoric.]
- Of or belonging to arsenic; in
Chem. applied to compounds in which arsenic combines as a pentad.
arsenic anhydride = arsenic pentoxide.
1801 CHENEVIX in Phil. Trans. XCI. 219 It was found to contain arsenic
acid. 1876 HARLEY Mat. Med. 295 Arsenic Anhydride is the highest state
of oxydation of the metal. 1881 ROSCOE &c., Chem. I. 530 The salts of
arsenic acid, or the arsenates, are isomorphous with the phosphates.
Last modified: 19 December 1996
Maintained by Michael J. O'Donnell, email:
odonnell@cs.uchicago.edu