Chlorpicrin

/klɔːrˈpɪkrɪn/ noun

Definition

A toxic chemical compound (also called tear gas) used as a pesticide and in warfare, noted for causing severe eye and respiratory irritation.

Etymology

From chlorine + picric (relating to picric acid), coined in the 1840s when chemists combined these compounds experimentally.

Kelly Says

Chlorpicrin was used as a poison gas in World War I, but it's also used today in agriculture to sterilize soil before planting—the same chemical can be both a weapon and a farming tool depending on the context!

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