Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Arsenic
Ar′se-nic
(är′sē̍-nĭk; 277)
, Noun.
[L.
arsenicum
, Gr. ἀρσενικόν
, ἀρρενικόν
, yellow orpiment, perh. fr. ἀρσενικόσ
or better Attic ἀρρενικόσ
masculine, ἄρρην
male, on account of its strength, or fr. Per. zernīkh
: cf. F. arsenic
.] 1.
(Chem.)
One of the elements, a solid substance resembling a metal in its physical properties, but in its chemical relations ranking with the nonmetals. It is of a steel-gray color and brilliant luster, though usually dull from tarnish. It is very brittle, and sublimes at 356° Fahrenheit. It is sometimes found native, but usually combined with silver, cobalt, nickel, iron, antimony, or sulphur. Orpiment and realgar are two of its sulphur compounds, the first of which is the true arsenicum of the ancients. The element and its compounds are active poisons. Specific gravity from 5.7 to 5.9. Atomic weight 75. Symbol As.
2.
(Com.)
Arsenious oxide or arsenious anhydride; – called also
arsenious acid
, white arsenic
, and ratsbane
. Ar-sen′ic
,Adj.
(Chem.)
Pertaining to, or derived from, arsenic; – said of those compounds of arsenic in which this element has its highest equivalence;
as,
. arsenic
acidWebster 1828 Edition
Arsenic
'ARSENIC
,Noun.
Arsenic, as it is usually seen in the shops, is not a metal, but an oxyd, from which the metal may be easily obtained by mixing it with half its weight of black flux, and introducing the mixture into a Florence flask, gradually raised to a red heat, in a sand bath. A brilliant metallic sublimate of pure arsenic collects in the upper part of the flask. Arsenic is of a steel blue color, quite brittle, and the metal with all its compounds, is a virulent poison, vulgarly called rats-bane. It forms alloys with most of the metals. Combined with sulphur it forms orpiment or realgar, which are the yellow and red sulphurets of arsenic. Orpiment is the true arsenicum of the ancients. Plin. 34, 18. native orpiment appears in yellow, brilliant, and seemingly talcky masses of various sizes; realgar is red, of different shades, and often crystallized in needles. Arsenic is also found as a mineralizer in cobalt, antimony, copper, iron and silver ores. It is brought chiefly from the cobalt works in Saxony, where zaffer is made.
Definition 2024
arsènic
arsènic
See also: arsenic