Arsenic
/ˈɑːr.sə.nɪk/noun
A poisonous metallic element and a toxic compound used historically in pigments, medicines, and poisons.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Greek arsenikon, a term used for yellow arsenic sulfide, and many scholars connect it to the same ancient root behind words for masculinity and virility.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
arsenikon
“yellow arsenic sulfide; a mineral substance”
Late Greek
Greek
arsenikon
“arsenic, especially the yellow mineral or its compounds”
Medieval Latin
Latin
arsenicum
“arsenic; arsenic sulfide”
Old French
Old French
arsenic
“arsenic”
Middle English
English
arsenik
“arsenic”
Modern English
English
arsenic
“the poisonous element or its compounds”
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