US /ˈprʌs.ɪk/ UK /ˈprʌs.ɪk/
adj Freq #65322

Meanings

  1. 1
    adj

    dated in chemistry: relating to hydrogen cyanide or hydrocyanic acid, especially in the term prussic acid

    The physician suspected poisoning by prussic acid, the historical name for hydrogen cyanide.

  2. 2
    adj

    historical: derived from or associated with Prussian blue and its compounds

    Early chemists isolated several prussic compounds while studying Prussian blue pigment.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 adj · dated in chemistry:... hydrocyaniccyanogenic
2 adj · historical: derived from or... Prussian-blue-derived
Word family
Derived forms prussic acid
Related forms cyanidehydrogen cyanidePrussian blueprussiate

Etymology

From Latin Prussia or French prussique, 'Prussian,' + -ic. The name arose because hydrogen cyanide was first obtained from Prussian blue pigment; prussic acid is now called hydrocyanic acid or hydrogen cyanide.

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