Dictionary.com

salicylic acid

Save This Word!

noun Chemistry, Pharmacology.
a white, crystalline, very slightly water-soluble powder, C7H6O3, prepared from salicin or phenol: used as a food preservative, in the manufacture of aspirin, and in medicine chiefly in the form of a salicylate as a remedy for rheumatic and gouty conditions.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of salicylic acid

First recorded in 1830–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use salicylic acid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for salicylic acid

salicylic acid
/ (ˌsælɪˈsɪlɪk) /

noun
a white crystalline slightly water-soluble substance with a sweet taste and bitter aftertaste, used in the manufacture of aspirin, dyes, and perfumes, and as a fungicide. Formula: C 6 H 4 (OH)(COOH)

Word Origin for salicylic acid

C19: from salicyl (via French from Latin salix a willow + -yl) + -ic
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 salicylic acid

salicylic acid
[ săl′ĭ-sĭl′ĭk ]

A white, crystalline acid used to make aspirin, to treat certain skin conditions, and to preserve and flavor foods. Salicylic acid is benzoic acid with a hydroxyl group (OH) attached to the carboxyl group (COOH). Chemical formula: C7H6O3.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK