arsenite

American  

[ahr-suh-nahyt] / ˈɑr səˌnaɪt /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a salt or ester of arsenous acid.

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arsenite British  

/ ˈɑːsɪˌnaɪt /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of arsenite

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.

From Scientific American

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

From Washington Post

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

From The New Yorker

And the traditional methods of growing rice, which often involve flooding a field, encourage formation of a soluble arsenic compound, arsenite, that is readily transported by the rice plant.

From New York Times

Put that wallpaper in a damp environment, and a toxic mold will form, which converts the copper arsenite pigment into a poisonous vapor.

From Scientific American