What is "cyanic acid"

Cyanic \Cy*an"ic\ (s?-?n"?k), a. [Gr. ky`anos a dark blue substance: cf. F. cyanique. Cf. Kyanite.]

1. Pertaining to, or containing, cyanogen.

2. Of or pertaining to a blue color.

   Cyanic acid (Chem.), an acid, HOCN, derived from cyanogen, well known in its salts, but never isolated in the free state.

   Cyanic colors (Bot.), those colors (of flowers) having some tinge of blue; -- opposed to xanthic colors. A color of either series may pass into red or white, but not into the opposing color. Red and pure white are more common among flowers of cyanic tendency than in those of the other class.

n. (context chemistry English) An unstable, highly volatile, poisonous acid, HOCN, used to prepare cyanates; hydrolyzes in water to give ammonia and carbon dioxide

n. a colorless poisonous volatile liquid acid that hydrolyzes readily to ammonia and carbon dioxide