cacodylic acid

noun

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cac·o·dyl·ic acid | \ ˌka-kə-ˈdi-lik-

Definition of cacodylic acid

: a toxic crystalline compound of arsenic C₂H₇AsO₂ used especially as an herbicide

History and Etymology for cacodylic acid

German Kakodyl, the radical (CH₃)₂As + -ic entry 1; Kakodyl from Greek kakṓdēs "foul-smelling" (from kakós "bad, ill, foul" + -ōdēs "having a given smell," adjective derivative from od-, the base of ózein "to smell, give off odor") + German -yl -yl — more at caco-, odor

Note: According to Jöns Jakob berzelius, he suggested the name Kakodyl to the chemist Robert bunsen, who was investigating it, because of "the extremely repellent smell of all of its compounds" ("… für welche ich Bunsen den Namen Kakodyl vorschlug, in Bezug auf den höchst wiedrigen Geruch aller seiner Verbindungen" - Jahresbericht über die Fortschritte der physischen Wissenschaften von Jacob Berzelius, 20. Jahrgang [1841], p. 527).

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Last Updated

18 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Cacodylic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacodylic%20acid. Accessed 20 Jun. 2021.

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