oxalic acid

noun Chemistry.

a white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous acid, H2C2O4⋅2H2O, 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.

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Origin of oxalic acid

First recorded in 1785–95

Words nearby oxalic acid

oxacillin, oxalate, oxalate calculus, oxalemia, oxalic, oxalic acid, oxalis, oxaloacetic acid, oxalosis, oxalosuccinic acid, oxaluria
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for oxalic acid

oxalic acid
/ (ɒkˈsælɪk) /

noun

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

Word Origin for oxalic acid

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

Medical definitions for oxalic acid

oxalic acid
[ ŏk-săl′ĭk ]

n.

A poisonous crystalline organic acid found in many plants and used as an agent in chemical reduction.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for oxalic acid

oxalic acid
[ ŏk-săl′ĭk ]

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: C2H2O4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.