cacodyl

[ kak-uh-dil ]

/ ˈkæk ə dɪl /

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adjective

noun

an oily, slightly water-soluble, poisonous liquid compound composed of two cacodyl groups, (CH3)2As−As(CH3)2, that has a vile, garliclike odor and that undergoes spontaneous combustion in dry air.

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Origin of cacodyl

1840–50; <Greek kakṓd(ēs) ill-smelling (kak(o)- caco- + -ōd- smell + -ēs adj. suffix) + -yl

Words nearby cacodyl

cackle, cackleberry, cacky, caco-, cacodemon, cacodyl, cacodylate, cacodyl group, cacodylic, cacodylic acid, cacoepy

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How to use cacodyl in a sentence

The dimethyl arsine (or cacodyl) compounds have been most studied.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6|Various
Simultaneously with his work on cacodyl, he was studying the composition of the gases given off from blast furnaces.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4|Various

British Dictionary definitions for cacodyl

cacodyl

/ (ˈkækədaɪl) /

noun

an oily poisonous liquid with a strong garlic smell; tetramethyldiarsine. Formula: [(CH 3) 2 As] 2

Derived forms of cacodyl

cacodylic (ˌkækəˈdɪlɪk), adjective

Word Origin for cacodyl

C19: from Greek kakōdēs evil-smelling (from kakos caco- + ozein to smell) + -yl

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012