arsenite

[ahr-suh-nahyt]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a salt or ester of arsenous acid.

arsenite

/ ˈɑːsɪˌnaɪt /

noun

1. a salt or ester of arsenous acid, esp a salt containing the ion A 5 O 3 ^3–

Word History and Origins

Origin of arsenite¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; arsen- + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

In humans and other mammals, the main enzyme that converts arsenic into other chemical compounds is arsenite methyltransferase.

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Inorganic compounds such as copper arsenite, also called Scheele’s green, lent a coveted hue to some wallpapers and paints.

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Arsenic compounds are still liberally used, both as insecticides and as weed killers, where they usually take the chemical form of sodium arsenite.

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One of the earliest pesticides associated with cancer is arsenic, occurring in sodium arsenite as a weed killer, and in calcium arsenate and various other compounds as insecticides.

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While the results of weed killers such as sodium arsenite or the phenols are grossly obvious, some other herbicides are more insidious in their effects.

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