noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈɑː(ɹ)siːn/
/ˈɑː(ɹ)saɪn/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A compound of arsenic and hydrogen, AsH3, a colorless and exceedingly poisonous gas, having an odor like garlic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a poisonous colorless flammable gas used in organic synthesis and to dope transistors and as a poison gas in warfare
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: gas
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵhelh3- Proto-Indo-European *ǵhl̥h3enyomder. Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́hr̥Hanyam Proto-Iranian *jr̥Hanyam Old Median *zaranyam Old Median *kā Old Median *zaraniyakāder. Middle Persian *zarnīkbor. Classical Syriac ܙܪܢܝܟܐ (zarnīḵā)der. Arabic الزَرْنِيخ (az-zarnīḵ)bor. Byzantine Greek ἀρσενικόν (arsenikón)der. Latin arsenicumder. Middle French arsenicbor. Middle English arsenik English arsenic Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English arsine From ars(enic) + -ine (“suffix used to form names of chemical substances”).
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.