arsenicophagy en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃enyomder. Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰr̥Hanyam Proto-Iranian *jr̥Hanyam Old Median *zaranyam Old Median *kā Old Median *zaraniyakāder. Middle Persian *zarnīkbor. Classical Syriac ܙܪܢܝܟܐ (zarnīḵā)der. Arabic الزَرْنِيخ (az-zarnīḵ)bor. Byzantine Greek ἀρσενικόν (arsenikón)der. Latin arsenicumder. Middle French arsenicbor. Middle English arsenik English arsenic Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. English -o- Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂g- Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂g-der. Ancient Greek ἔφᾰγον (éphăgon) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -φᾰγίᾱ (-phăgíā)lbor. English -phagy English arsenicophagy From arsenic + -o- + -phagy.
Meanings
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(uncountable) The eating of arsenic, formerly practiced for supposed health benefits.
She took up arsenicophagy, and in just a few months, 'had become stout, rosy-cheeked, and altogether quite to her lover's satisfaction'.
2010, James C. Whorton, The Arsenic Century: How Victorian Britain was Poisoned at Home, Work, and Play, OUP:M. Ritter adds that in his experiments with men, he never met with the coloring and embonpoint which are said to result from arsenicophagy.
1873, Chandler and Chandler, The American Chemist, page 204: