potassium bromide

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, KBr, having a bitter saline taste: used chiefly in the manufacture of photographic papers and plates, in engraving, and in medicine as a sedative.

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potassium bromide British  

noun

1. a white crystalline soluble substance with a bitter saline taste used in making photographic papers and plates and in medicine as a sedative. Formula: KBr

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Etymology

Origin of potassium bromide

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Some bromide salts, notably potassium bromide, were found to be natural sedatives, and were prescribed in the 19th Century as a remedy for epilepsy.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2014

We therefore conclude, that either the niter or the small excess of potassium bromide, or both together, produce the change.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 384, May 12, 1883 by Various

Before using, add one drop of ten per cent solution of potassium bromide to each ounce of the solution.

From The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 1 March 1906 by Various

Any uncondensed bromine vapour is absorbed by moist iron borings, and the resulting iron bromide is used for the manufacture of potassium bromide.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various

We prepare, then, a solution of potassium bromide in water containing in every 12 ounces of solution 1 ounce of the salt.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 384, May 12, 1883 by Various