Dictionary
mercu'ric ox'ide
Chem.
a slightly crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous compound, HgO, occurring as a coarse, orange-red powder
(red mercuric oxide) or as a fine, orange-yellow powder
(yellow mercuric oxide) : used chiefly as a pigment in paints and as an antiseptic in pharmaceuticals.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.