cyanide

American  

[sahy-uh-nahyd, -nid] / ˈsaɪ əˌnaɪd, -nɪd /

noun

1. Chemistry. Also cyanid

   1. a salt of hydrocyanic acid, as potassium cyanide, KCN.

   2. a nitrile, as methyl cyanide, C 2 H 3 N.

---

verb (used with object)

cyanided, cyaniding

1. to treat with a cyanide, as an ore in order to extract gold.

cyanide British  

/ ˈsaɪəˌnaɪd, ˈsaɪənɪd /

noun

1. any salt of hydrocyanic acid. Cyanides contain the ion CN ^– and are extremely poisonous

2. another name (not in technical usage) for nitrile

---

cyanide Scientific  

/ sī′ə-nīd′ /

1. Any of a large group of chemical compounds containing the radical CN, especially the very poisonous salts sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide. Cyanides are used to make plastics and to extract and treat metals.

---

Other Word Forms

• cyanidation
  noun
• subcyanid
  noun
• subcyanide
  noun

Etymology

Origin of cyanide

1820–30; cyan- ³ + -ide ( def. )

Example Sentences

Not only does the extraction of metals like gold involve large amounts of water, but it also uses cyanide and releases other pollutants, posing major environmental and health risks.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

"In 2006, nearly 2,000 residents suffered from vertigo, sight problems and nausea after it rained in Guney, with blood tests showing cyanide in their blood," he said.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

After the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, a dozen residents had to be treated for cyanide poisoning.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Hydrogen cyanide is not rare in the universe.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2026

He was perfecting a technique by which the gold could be leached out of the rock by processing it with a cyanide solution.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls