nitric acid

nounChemistry.

a colorless or yellowish, fuming, suffocating, caustic, corrosive, water-soluble liquid, HNO3, having powerful oxidizing properties, usually obtained from ammonia or from Chile saltpeter: used chiefly in the manufacture of explosives and fertilizers and in organic synthesis.

Origin of nitric acid

First recorded in 1785–95

Also called aqua fortis.

Words Nearby nitric acid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nitric acid in a sentence

There was intense and passionate resistance to these vaccine mandates, with some people going so far as to burn their arm with nitric acid to make it look like they had smallpox, which left a scar, the New York Times reports.
What legal ground do Republican governors have to push back on vaccine mandates? | Amber Phillips | September 10, 2021 | Washington Post
After the rods cool below 80 °F, they are cut into smaller pieces before being placed in nitric acid and dissolved.
Finding homes for the waste that will (probably) outlive humanity | Katie McLean | October 21, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
His results for ammonia, as well as nitric acid, are given in the subjoined table.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson
His results for the years 1855 and 1856 are given below, along with the quantities of nitric acid found at the same time.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry | Thomas Anderson
Next lay the stencil in a small shallow dish and pour a small quantity of fresh nitric acid over it.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2 | Various

The anions of this group form silver salts, which are insoluble in nitric acid.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2. | Julius Stieglitz
Barium nitrate, added to a solution acidified with nitric acid, is the group reagent.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2. | Julius Stieglitz

British Dictionary definitions for nitric acid

nitric acid

noun

a colourless or yellowish fuming corrosive liquid usually used in aqueous solution. It is an oxidizing agent and a strong monobasic acid: important in the manufacture of fertilizers, explosives, and many other chemicals. Formula: HNO 3: Former name: aqua fortis

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

Scientific definitions for nitric acid

nitric acid

A clear, colorless to yellow liquid that is very corrosive and can dissolve most metals. It is used to make fertilizers, explosives, dyes, and rocket fuels. Chemical formula: HNO3.

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