mustard gas

American  

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.

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mustard gas British  

noun

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

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mustard gas Scientific  

/ 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.

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Etymology

Origin of mustard gas

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

Example Sentences

Ms Shemirani's mother tried to blame medical staff for her daughter's death and has previously labelled chemotherapy as "mustard gas".

From BBC

On social media she posts videos promoting her products and sometimes criticises "ill-informed people" for treating cancer with chemotherapy, or "pumping mustard gas into their veins" as she characterises it.

From BBC

The Germans, it turned out, had poisoned the river shore with an yperite mixture—more commonly known as mustard gas.

From Literature

In the world of Francesca May’s queer gothic fantasy “Wild and Wicked Things,” World War I was epoch-making not for its machine guns and mustard gas, but for its use of magic.

From Seattle Times

Other substances and activities listed include HIV and cobalt, which were added in 2016, as well as tobacco smoking, solar radiation, mustard gas, and asbestos.

From Salon

Related Words

• poison gas
• tear gas