lewisite

noun

lew·​is·​ite ˈlü-ə-ˌsīt How to pronounce lewisite (audio)
: a colorless or brown vesicant liquid C2H2AsCl3 developed as a poison gas for war use

Examples of lewisite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Munitions and nerve agents from World War II are scattered throughout the ocean; Scales notes that blackbelly rosefish and European conger eel off the Italian coast have been found to contain high levels of arsenic, a residue of the chemical agent lewisite. Benjamin Shull, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2021 Some of those chemical agents, such as lewisite and mustard gas, were specifically designed to injure people; others, including sarin, soman, and VX, were designed to kill. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 23 Mar. 2022 His task was to develop poison gases—first mustard gas, then an even nastier brew called lewisite. Steven Shapin, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2017 McCaskill said the military tested the effects of mustard gas and the blister agent lewisite on about 60,000 veterans by the end of World War II. Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Winford L. Lewis †1943 American chemist

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lewisite was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near lewisite

Cite this Entry

“Lewisite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lewisite. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

lewisite

noun
lew·​is·​ite ˈlü-ə-ˌsīt How to pronounce lewisite (audio)
: a colorless or brown vesicant liquid C2H2AsCl3 developed as a poison gas for war use

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