isocyanic acid

American

[ahy-soh-sahy-an-ik, ahy-soh-] / ˈaɪ soʊ saɪˈæn ɪk, ˌaɪ soʊ- /

noun

Chemistry.

an unstable acid, CHNO, tautomeric with cyanic acid, known only in the form of its salts.

isocyanic acid British

/ ˌaɪsəʊsaɪˈænɪk /

noun

a hypothetical acid known only in the form of its compounds. Formula: HNCO

"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

Etymology

Origin of isocyanic acid

First recorded in 1890–95; iso- + cyanic acid

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He found the highest concentration of isocyanic acid ever measured in the atmosphere.

From Scientific American • Sep. 12, 2022

“The biomass-burning community was completely unaware isocyanic acid was in smoke. What else didn’t we know?”

From Scientific American • Sep. 12, 2022

In 2009, while burning ponderosa pine branches and other fuel characteristic of the Western U.S., he found a particularly noxious compound called isocyanic acid.

From Scientific American • Sep. 12, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023