litmus test

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noun

Chemistry. the use of litmus paper or solution to test the acidity or alkalinity of a solution.

a crucial and revealing test in which there is one decisive factor.

Origin of litmus test

First recorded in 1955–60; so called from chemical tests in which litmus or litmus paper is an indicator

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British Dictionary definitions for litmus test

litmus test

noun

a test to establish the acidity or alkalinity of a mixture

a critical indication of future success or failure

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

litmus test in Medicine

litmus test

n.

A test for chemical acidity or basicity using litmus paper.