acetic

[uh-see-tik, uh-set-ik]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR acetic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pertaining to, derived from, or producing vinegar or acetic acid.

RELATED WORDS

acid, biting, sour

Nearby words

Origin of acetic

First recorded in 1800–10; acet- + -ic

Related formssem·i·a·ce·tic, adjectiveun·a·ce·tic, adjective

Can be confusedacetic aesthetic ascetic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for acetic

This point would be determined from a knowledge of the cost of production per gallon, and the percentage of acetic acid per unit.
The Preparation of Plantation Rubber|Sidney Morgan
Acetate of oxide of ethyl, Acetic ether, Pyroligneous ether; ther aceticus, L.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Acetic acid is a colorless liquid and has a strong pungent odor.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry|William McPherson
Like the benzoic acid the acetic acid is, no doubt, present in cananga oil in the form of ether.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 288|Various

It may be prepared by the addition of potassium nitrite to an acetic acid solution of cobalt chloride.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for acetic

acetic

adjective

of, containing, producing, or derived from acetic acid or vinegar

Word Origin for acetic

C19: from Latin acētum vinegar

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for acetic

acetic

adj.

1808, from French acétique "pertaining to vinegar," from Latin acetum "vinegar" (properly vinum acetum "wine turned sour;" see vinegar), originally past participle of acere "be sour," related to acer "sharp" (see acrid).

Science definitions for acetic

acetic

[ə-sē′tĭk]

Relating to or containing acetic acid or vinegar.