: an irritant vesicant oily liquid C4H8Cl2S used especially as a chemical weapon
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe commission also identified seven victims of Hirt’s mustard gas experiments and 196 victims of Haagen’s research on a typhus vaccine.New York Times, 24 July 2022 Its munitions included mustard gas, which burns the eyes and lungs, as well as a variety of nerve agents.New York Times, 4 May 2022 Iraqi soldiers dropped sarin and mustard gas on villages by plane in advance of infantry raids.New York Times, 20 Apr. 2022 Some of those chemical agents, such as lewisite and mustard gas, were specifically designed to injure people; others, including sarin, soman, and VX, were designed to kill. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 23 Mar. 2022 In 1984 and 1986, Iraq is accused of using mustard gas and other chemical weapons against Iran.CNN, 7 Mar. 2022 After saving Allen and losing his steel powers because of mustard gas, Nate decides to finally join Zari 1.0 in the totem. Chancellor Agard, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2022 Johnny was the first brain-tumor patient in the United States to be treated with mustard gas, an early form of chemotherapy; Gunther himself delivered the canisters full of the toxic stuff to the hospital. Deborah Cohen, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2022 In the World War I-set closer, Nate charged into a haze of mustard gas to save the love of Gwyn's (Matt Ryan) life, Alun (Tom Forbes), and lost all of his steel powers as a result. Chancellor Agard, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2022 See More
Word History
First Known Use
1917, in the meaning defined above
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