pyroligneous acid

noun

Chemistry.

1. a yellowish, acidic, water-soluble liquid, containing about 10 percent acetic acid, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood: used for smoking meats.

pyroligneous acid

noun

1. Also called: wood vinegar. the crude reddish-brown acidic liquid obtained by the distillation of wood and containing acetic acid, methanol, and acetone

Word History and Origins

Origin of pyroligneous acid¹

First recorded in 1780–90