: a colorless or brown vesicant liquid C2H2AsCl3 developed as a poison gas for war use
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebSome 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 His task was to develop poison gases—first mustard gas, then an even nastier brew called lewisite. Steven Shapin, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2017 McCaskill said the military tested the effects of mustard gas and the blister agent lewisite on about 60,000 veterans by the end of World War II.Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2017
Word History
Etymology
Winford L. Lewis †1943 American chemist
First Known Use
1895, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
lewisite
noun
lew·is·ite ˈlü-ə-ˌsīt
: a colorless or brown vesicant liquid C2H2AsCl3 developed as a poison gas for war use