- nitrile, nitril, cyanide - any of a class of organic compounds containing the cyano radical -CN
--1 is a kind of organic compound
--1 has particulars: propenonitrile, acrylonitrile, vinyl cyanide - cyanide - an extremely poisonous salt of hydrocyanic acid
--2 is a kind of salt
--2 has particulars: sodium cyanide; potassium cyanide