Aurocyanide

/ˌɔːroʊˈsaɪənɪd/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound containing gold and cyanide; historically used in gold extraction and metal processing.

Etymology

From Latin aurum 'gold' plus cyanide (from Greek kyanos 'dark blue,' named for Prussian blue pigment). This compound was crucial in 19th-century gold mining chemistry.

Kelly Says

Aurocyanide is the reason gold mining switched from panning to industrial extraction—this compound lets miners dissolve and recover microscopic gold particles that would be impossible to find by hand.

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