: a colorless gas COCl2 of unpleasant odor that is a severe respiratory irritant that has been used in chemical warfare
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebIt was already known that four Sinti detainees died after Bickenbach experimented on them with phosgene, a combat gas used during World War I, but the commission identified 36 other victims.New York Times, 24 July 2022 In addition to chlorine, both sides used phosgene and mustard gas, which blistered the skin.Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2014 The company later said chemicals released to the air included 0.62 pounds of phosgene and 0.1 pound of chlorobenzene. Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, 3 Jan. 2021 The LaPorte Chemical Complex is the largest merchant producer of specialty and custom phosgene derivatives in North America, according to the company's website. Hannah Dellinger, Houston Chronicle, 23 Jan. 2020 The sounds were deafening — the thunderous detonations of exploding munitions, the loud staccato bursts of machine gun fire, the shriek of whistles as German chlorine and phosgene gas were unleashed, and the screams of the wounded. Special To The Oregonian, OregonLive.com, 28 May 2018 Mustard gas crawling over the trenches caused debilitating injuries, while soldiers exposed to chlorine and phosgene gases suffocated in a most gruesome manner. Dawn Mitchell, Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2018 It is widely reported to possess a large arsenal of chemical weapons, including mustard, phosgene and sarin gas, a United States Congressional Research Service report said last year. Richard C. Paddock And Choe Sang-hun, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2017 See More
Word History
Etymology
Greek phōs light + -genēs born, produced — more at fancy, -gen; from its originally having been obtained by the action of sunlight