poison gas

American  

noun

1. any of various toxic gases, especially those used in chemical warfare to kill or incapacitate on inhalation or contact, as phosgene, chlorine, etc.

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poison gas British  

noun

1. a gaseous substance, such as chlorine, phosgene, or lewisite, used in warfare to kill or harm

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Etymology

Origin of poison gas

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Before we walk into a room, we like to be fairly certain of what we’ll find — walls, floor, furniture, not hot coals or clouds of poison gas.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2024

Traces of the World War One poison gas phosgene were detected in an incident at Sweden's security service HQ last Friday, official documents suggest.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2024

It concludes with a stanza describing the death of a fellow soldier following a poison gas attack:

From Salon • Jul. 9, 2023

A few paragraphs later, though, he concedes that “some are noxious,” listing slavery and poison gas as examples.

From Washington Post • Jun. 24, 2022

Like billboards whose occupants wore gas masks and reminded passersby that poison gas from Hitler’s Nazi Germany was still a very real threat.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Related Words

• mustard gas