青せい酸さん

せ

い

さ

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

hydrocyanic acid; prussic acid; hydrogen cyanide

A highly toxic chemical compound. Often appears in compounds like 青酸カリ (potassium cyanide) and 青酸ガス (cyanide gas).

Kanji

青blue, green
酸acid, bitterness, sour

Similar words

シアン化か水すい素そ
The formal chemical name for hydrogen cyanide; 青酸 is the common Japanese term, often used in news and general contexts.
青せい酸さんカリ
Potassium cyanide, a common cyanide salt; 青酸 refers to the acid form or the cyanide group in general.

Etymology

Compound of 青 (blue) and 酸 (acid), likely from the historical association of cyanide compounds with Prussian blue pigment. The exact derivation is uncertain.