arsenic

noun
🔊/ˈɑːsnɪk/
🔊/ˈɑːrsnɪk/
[uncountable]
(symbol As)
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  1. a chemical element. Arsenic is a grey metalloid (= has properties of both metals and other solid substances) and is very poisonous, especially in its compound forms.
    • The doctor found traces of arsenic in his body.医生在他的体内发现了砷的痕迹。
    • chocolates laced with arsenic含砷的巧克力
    Topics Physics and chemistryc2
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryArsenic is used before these nouns:
    • poisoning
    See full entry
    Word Originlate Middle English (denoting yellow orpiment (a mineral), arsenic sulphide): via Old French from Latin arsenicum, from Greek arsenikon ‘yellow orpiment’, identified with arsenikos ‘male’, but in fact from Arabic al-zarnīk̲ ‘the orpiment’ (a bright yellow mineral), based on Persian zar ‘gold’.