arsenical

[ ahr-sen-i-kuhl ]

/ ɑrˈsɛn ɪ kəl /

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adjective

containing or relating to arsenic.

noun

any of a group of pesticides, drugs, or other compounds containing arsenic.

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Origin of arsenical

First recorded in 1595–1605; arsenic + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM arsenical

non·ar·sen·i·cal, adjective

Words nearby arsenical

arsen-, arsenal, arsenate, arsenic, arsenic acid, arsenical, arsenic disulfide, arsenic trichloride, arsenic trioxide, arsenic trisulfide, arsenide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use arsenical in a sentence

In large doses Arsenical preparations act on the stomach as irritant poisons.
The Action of Medicines in the System|Frederick William Headland
Some taxidermists prefer to use in place of the paste some form of Arsenical Soap.
Home Taxidermy for Pleasure and Profit|Albert B. Farnham
Iron and Arsenical Pyrites are also very common attendants, and are both confounded under the name of Mundic.
A Guide to the Mount's Bay and the Land's End|John Ayrton Paris
A fresh section of it shows it to be Arsenical Iron Pyrites, each piece weighing four or five ounces.
The Mound Builders|George Bryce

Arsenical Soaps, &c.—Arsenic is used in preserving the skins of animals.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth

British Dictionary definitions for arsenical

arsenical

/ (ɑːˈsɛnɪkəl) /

adjective

of or containing arsenic

noun

a drug or insecticide containing arsenic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012