mustard gas

noun

1. an oily liquid, C 4 H 8 Cl 2 S, used as a chemical-warfare gas, blistering the skin and damaging the lungs, often causing blindness and death: introduced by the Germans in World War I.

mustard gas

noun

1. an oily liquid vesicant compound used in chemical warfare. Its vapour causes blindness and burns. Formula: (ClCH 2 CH 2 ) 2 S

mustard gas

/ mŭs′tərd /

1. An oily, volatile liquid that is corrosive to the skin and mucous membranes and causes severe, sometimes fatal respiratory damage. It was introduced in World War I as a chemical warfare agent. Chemical formula: C 4 H 8 Cl 2 S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mustard gas¹

First recorded in 1915–20; so called from its mustard-like odor

Example Sentences

Superfund sites include former aluminum smelters that left the ground contaminated with arsenic, military bases that spilled jet fuel, benzene, and mustard gas into the soil, and even a plume of chlorine chemicals under Brooklyn.

From Popular-Science

Plenty of nasty chemicals lurk out in the world that could harm a human being, whether they are sinister agents like mustard gas or industrial substances prone to combustion.

From Popular-Science

Related Words

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