hydrogen cyanide
noun
1
: a poisonous usually gaseous compound HCN that has the odor of bitter almonds
2
Examples of hydrogen cyanide in a Sentence
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Celebrations were in full swing as the cloud descended on the metropolis in a thick, deadly fog that, owing to the presence of hydrogen cyanide, smelled of bitter almonds.
—
Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Some of the most damaging items on that long list are carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, benzene, acrolein, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
On Earth, glycine forms when hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and organic compounds called aldehydes react with each other in warm water.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Citrus seeds contain compounds called cyanogenic glycosides, which can release trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide, a naturally occurring chemical that, in larger amounts, can interfere with how the body uses oxygen, when seeds are thoroughly chewed or crushed.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
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Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
Some of the most damaging items on that long list are carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, benzene, acrolein, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
On Earth, glycine forms when hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and organic compounds called aldehydes react with each other in warm water.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Citrus seeds contain compounds called cyanogenic glycosides, which can release trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide, a naturally occurring chemical that, in larger amounts, can interfere with how the body uses oxygen, when seeds are thoroughly chewed or crushed.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hydrogen cyanide
Cite this Entry
“Hydrogen cyanide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrogen%20cyanide. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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