formic acid

American  

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.

1. a colorless, irritating, fuming, water-soluble liquid, CH 2 O 2 , originally obtained from ants and now manufactured synthetically, used in dyeing and tanning and in medicine chiefly as a counterirritant and astringent.

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formic acid British  

noun

1. Systematic name: methanoic acid.  a colourless corrosive liquid carboxylic acid found in some insects, esp ants, and many plants: used in dyeing textiles and the manufacture of insecticides and refrigerants. Formula: HCOOH

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formic acid Scientific  

/ fôr′mĭk /

1. A colorless, caustic, fuming liquid that occurs naturally as the poison of ants and stinging nettles. It is used in making textiles and paper and in insecticides. Formic acid is the simplest organic acid, containing a carboxyl (COOH) group attached to a hydrogen atom. Chemical formula: CH ₂ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of formic acid

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

formic acid

As the body attempts to clear methanol - breaking it down or metabolising it in the liver - an enzyme converts it to formaldehyde and formic acid.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

The formic acid, in turn, provides fuel for the cell's growth, creating a self-sustaining loop that drives pigment production.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2025

This metabolism creates toxic by-products called formaldehyde, formate and formic acid.

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2024

By varying the size of tin used from single atoms to ultrasmall clusters and also to larger nano-crystallites, the team could control the CO2 conversion to acetic acid, ethanol and formic acid, respectively.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

They are all monobasic, and this fact is expressed in the formulas by separating the replaceable hydrogen atom from the rest of the molecule: H·CHO2 formic acid, a liquid boiling at 100°.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William