arsenical

See also: arsénical

English

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 arsenicum

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālisbor.

Old French -albor.

▲

Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

▲

Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

English -al

English arsenical

From Latin arsenicum +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɑːˈsɛnɪkl̩/

Adjective

arsenical (comparative more arsenical, superlative most arsenical)

1. Of or pertaining to, or containing, arsenic.
   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 156:

     Radio-active baths are said to act favourably in a sexual direction. So too with arsenical springs, cold water treatment, and hydrotherapy.

Derived terms

• arsenical bronze
• arsenical copper
• arsenical iron
• biarsenical
• nonarsenical
• organoarsenical

Translations

pertaining to or containing arsenic

• Catalan: arsenical
• Irish: arsanach
• Manx: arsnagh
• Portuguese: arsénico (pt) (Portugal), arsênico (pt) (Brazil)

Noun

arsenical (plural arsenicals)

1. Any drug or other substance containing arsenic.
   • 1999, Paracelsus, “Opus Paramirum”, in Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, transl., Essential Readings, North Atlantic Books, page 95:

     Thus Mercury cures the holes which it has provoked and other Arsenicals do likewise.

Anagrams

• carnalise

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aʁ.sə.ni.kal/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Adjective

arsenical (feminine arsenicale, masculine plural arsenicaux, feminine plural arsenicales)

1. arsenical

Further reading

• “arsenical”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aʁ.se.niˈkaw/ [ah.se.niˈkaʊ̯]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aʁ.se.niˈkaw/ [ah.se.niˈkaʊ̯]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /aɾ.se.niˈkaw/ [aɾ.se.niˈkaʊ̯]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /aʁ.se.niˈkaw/ [aχ.se.niˈkaʊ̯]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /aɻ.se.niˈkaw/ [aɻ.se.niˈkaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐɾ.sɨ.niˈkal/ [ɐɾ.sɨ.niˈkaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐɾ.sɨ.niˈkal/ [ɐɾ.sɨ.niˈkaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐɾ.sɨ.niˈka.li/

• Hyphenation: ar‧se‧ni‧cal

Adjective

arsenical m or f (plural arsenicais)

1. arsenical

Further reading

• “arsenical”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “arsenical”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French arsenical.

Adjective

arsenical m or n (feminine singular arsenicală, masculine plural arsenicali, feminine/neuter plural arsenicale)

1. arsenical

Declension

Declension of arsenical

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	arsenical		arsenicală	arsenicali	arsenicale
	definite	arsenicalul		arsenicala	arsenicalii	arsenicalele
genitive- dative	indefinite	arsenical		arsenicale	arsenicali	arsenicale
	definite	arsenicalului		arsenicalei	arsenicalilor	arsenicalelor

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Spanish arsénico

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Spanish -al

Spanish arsenical

From arsénico + -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɾseniˈkal/ [aɾ.se.niˈkal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ar‧se‧ni‧cal

Adjective

arsenical m or f (masculine and feminine plural arsenicales)

1. arsenical

Further reading

• “arsenical”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025