oxalic acid

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous acid, H 2 C 2 O 4 ⋅2H 2 O, first discovered in the juice of the wood sorrel species of oxalis and obtained by reacting carbon monoxide with sodium hydroxide or certain carbohydrates with acids or alkalis: used chiefly for bleaching, as a cleanser, and as a laboratory reagent.

oxalic acid

/ ɒkˈsælɪk /

noun

1. Systematic name: ethanedioic acid. a colourless poisonous crystalline dicarboxylic acid found in many plants: used as a bleach and a cleansing agent for metals. Formula: (COOH) 2

oxalic acid

1. A poisonous, crystalline acid found in a number of plants such as sorrel and the leaf blades of rhubarb. It is used for many industrial purposes, including rust removal and bleaching. Chemical formula: C ₂ H ₂ O ₄ .

Word History and Origins

Origin of oxalic acid¹

First recorded in 1785–95

Word History and Origins

Origin of oxalic acid¹

C18: from French oxalique, from Latin oxalis garden sorrel; see _oxalis