mercuric oxide

mercuric oxide

noun

Definition of MERCURIC OXIDE

: either of two forms of a slightly water-soluble crystalline poisonous compound HgO: a : a yellow finely divided powder obtained usually by precipitation from solutions of mercuric chloride and sodium hydroxide and used in antiseptic ointments b : a bright red coarse powder obtained by precipitation from hot solutions or by heating a nitrate of mercury and used similarly to the yellow form