A chemical compound comprised of carbon and nitrogen Cyanide is water- soluble and is used in ore processing solutions to extract gold from crushed rock
One of 11 pollutants of concern, cyanide is a naturally occurring inorganic substance with many industrial uses The major cyanide users are the steel, electroplating, mining, and chemical industries
Cyanide is a highly poisonous substance. a very strong poison (cyanogen type of poisonous gas (19-21 centuries), from cyanogène, from kyanos ( CYAN)). Any chemical compound containing the combining group CN. Ionic (see ion; ionic bond) and organic cyanide compounds differ in chemical properties, but both are toxic, especially the ionic ones. Cyanide poisoning inhibits cells' oxidative (see oxidation-reduction) processes; its action is extremely rapid, and an antidote must be given promptly. Cyanides occur naturally in certain seeds (e.g., apple seeds, wild cherry pits). Cyanides, including hydrogen cyanide (HCN, or hydrocyanic acid), are used industrially in the production of acrylic fibres, synthetic rubbers, and plastics as well as in electroplating, case-hardening of iron and steel, fumigation, and concentration of ores