VESICANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does vesicant mean? 

• VESICANT (noun)
  The noun VESICANT has 1 sense:

1. a chemical agent that causes blistering (especially mustard gas)

  Familiarity information: VESICANT used as a noun is very rare.

• VESICANT (adjective)
  The adjective VESICANT has 1 sense:

1. causing blisters

  Familiarity information: VESICANT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• VESICANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A chemical agent that causes blistering (especially mustard gas)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

vesicant; vesicatory

Hypernyms ("vesicant" is a kind of...):

chemical agent (an agent that produces chemical reactions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "vesicant"):

blistering agent; dichloroethyl sulfide; mustard agent; mustard gas; sulfur mustard (a toxic war gas with sulfide based compounds that raises blisters and attacks the eyes and lungs; there is no known antidote)

Derivation:

vesicant (causing blisters)

• VESICANT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Causing blisters

Synonyms:

vesicant; vesicatory

Similar:

noxious (injurious to physical or mental health)

Derivation:

vesicant (a chemical agent that causes blistering (especially mustard gas))

vesicate (get blistered)

 Context examples 

They were formerly used as toxicants and vesicants, but now function as antineoplastic agents.

(Nitrogen Mustard Compound, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Severe irritant and vesicant of skin, eyes, and lungs.

(Bischloroethylsulfide, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A sulfur mustard vesicant that had application in chemical warfare, treatment of psoriasis and has been studied as an alkylating agent in cancer therapy.

(Bischloroethylsulfide, NCI Thesaurus)

Mustard gas is a vesicant that was first used in chemical warfare in World War I, but is now only used in small amounts in research studies involving alkylating agents.

(Mustard Gas, NCI Thesaurus)