soman

/ˈsoʊmən/

Other forms: somen; somans

Soman is a deadly substance that was created for chemical warfare. Because it's toxic when people inhale it, soman is considered to be a weapon of mass destruction.

Like mustard gas or sarin, soman is a nerve agent that was developed for use in wars to kill many people all at once. It's a chemical that harms and begins to break down the nervous system when it's breathed in. Soman was invented by German biochemists during World War II, but it was never used in that conflict, and in 1993 it became illegal to produce or keep it.

Definitions of soman

1. noun

   a nerve agent easily absorbed into the body; a lethal cholinesterase inhibitor that is highly toxic when inhaled
   synonyms: GD

   type of:

   organophosphate nerve agent

   any of a series of nerve agents containing organophosphate compounds first synthesized by German chemists in 1936; in World War II the Germans tested them in concentration camps but not on the battlefield; Iraq is alleged to have used them against Iran and against the Kurds