mustard gas

noun

: an irritant vesicant oily liquid C₄H₈Cl₂S used especially as a chemical weapon

Examples of mustard gas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Chemical weapons, which contain phosgene, arsenic and sulfur mustard (also known as mustard gas), are too lethal to handle, probably ever, admits Guldin. —Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Sep. 2024

Derived from a relative of mustard gas, the drug is known to be highly toxic to a variety of blood cells; in fact, doctors had long used it to kill the diseased bone marrow in patients before transplant. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2024

In 24 hours more than 600 people in the area reported symptoms of mustard gas poisoning. —Andrea Gawrylewski, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2020

His case hinges on the argument that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s unleashing of massive amounts of mustard gas and nerve agents on unprotected civilians during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s had few consequences. —Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mustard gas

noun

: a poisonous gas used in war that has strongly irritating and especially blistering effects

Medical Definition

mustard gas

noun

: an irritant oily liquid C₄H₈Cl₂S used especially as a chemical weapon that causes blistering, attacks the eyes and lungs, and is a systemic poison

called also dichlorethyl sulfide, sulfur mustard