aqua regia

American  

[ree-jee-uh] / ˈri dʒi ə /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a yellow, fuming liquid composed of one part nitric acid and three to four parts hydrochloric acid: used chiefly to dissolve metals as gold, platinum, or the like.

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aqua regia British  

/ ˈriːdʒɪə /

noun

1. Also called: nitrohydrochloric acid.  a yellow fuming corrosive mixture of one part nitric acid and three to four parts hydrochloric acid, used in metallurgy for dissolving metals, including gold

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aqua regia Scientific  

/ rē′jē-ə,rē′jə /

1. A corrosive, fuming, volatile mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids. Aqua regia is used for testing metals and dissolving platinum and gold.

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Etymology

Origin of aqua regia

1600–10; < New Latin: literally, royal water

Example Sentences

Aqua regia is the only acid which dissolves it, and the action is much slower than with Au.

From An Introduction to Chemical Science by Williams, Rufus Phillips

Nitro muriatic radical Nitro muriatic acid Aqua regia.

From Elements of Chemistry, In a New Systematic Order, Containing all the Modern Discoveries by Lavoisier, Antoine

Aqua regia dissolves tin readily, forming stannic chloride, and in this solution the metal is detected by precipitation with sulphuretted hydrogen, which gives a yellow precipitate.

From A Text-book of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines. by Beringer, Cornelius