lewisite

[ loo-uh-sahyt ]
/ ˈlu əˌsaɪt /

noun

a pale yellow, odorless compound, C2H2AsCl3, used as a blister gas in World War I.

Origin of lewisite

1920–25; named after Winford Lee Lewis (1878–1943), American chemist who developed it; see -ite1

Words nearby lewisite

lewis with harris, lewis, c. s., lewis, john l., lewis, sinclair, lewisham, lewisite, lewisohn, lewisson, lewiston, lewisville, lewy bodies

Example sentences from the Web for lewisite

  • It contains a specimen of the deadliest poison ever known, 'Lewisite,' the product of an American scientist.

    The Slayer Of souls |Robert Chambers

  • That fellow would get us with his Lewisite gas before we could discover and destroy him.

    The Slayer Of souls |Robert Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for lewisite

lewisite
/ (ˈluːɪˌsaɪt) /

noun

a colourless oily poisonous liquid with an odour resembling that of geraniums, having a powerful vesicant action and used as a war gas; 1-chloro-2-dichloroarsinoethene. Formula: ClCH:CHAsCl 2

Word Origin for lewisite

C20: named after W. L. Lewis (1878–1943), US chemist