prussic

[ pruhs-ik ]

/ ˈprʌs ɪk /

of or derived from prussic acid.

Words nearby prussic

First recorded in 1780–90; see origin at prussic acid

Exposed to oxygen, the pellets gave off prussic acid, blocking the exchange of oxygen in the blood.
My Visit To Hell|Christopher Buckley|January 30, 2009|DAILY BEAST
"You gave me prussic acid in mistake for quinine this morning," a man told a chemist the other day.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, March 12, 1919|Various
This is a deadly poison, and, like prussic acid, it destroys life in small doses with great rapidity.
The Truth about Opium|William H. Brereton
A weapon with the smallest point covered with the matter kills as instantaneously as prussic acid.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II|Various

"Prussic acid or potassium cyanide is what the appearances suggest," he replied.
The Vanishing Man|R. Austin Freeman
The chief impurity is prussic acid, which is not always completely removed.
The Handbook of Soap Manufacture|W. H. Simmons