Cyanide
/ˈsaɪ.ə.naɪd/noun
A highly toxic chemical compound containing the CN group.
Did you know?Cyanide was named from Prussian blue, because chemists first isolated the cyanide ion from a blue dye whose name came from the Greek word for dark blue, kyanos.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kyanos
“Dark blue; deep blue color”
18th Century
French
cyanure
“A cyanide compound or salt”
1810s
French
cyanène / cyanure
“Chemistry terms derived from Prussian blue and its components”
19th Century
English
cyanide
“A salt or compound containing the cyanide radical”
Modern English
English
cyanide
“A highly poisonous compound containing the CN group”
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