spirit of hartshorn

American  

Or spirits of hartshorn

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, pungent, suffocating, aqueous solution of about 28.5 percent ammonia gas: used chiefly as a detergent, for removing stains and extracting certain vegetable coloring agents, and in the manufacture of ammonium salts.

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Etymology

Origin of spirit of hartshorn

First recorded in 1675–85

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spirit of hartshorn

Spirit of hartshorn is counterfeited by mixing liquid caustic ammonia with the distilled spirit of hartshorn, to increase the pungency of its odour, and to enable it to bear an addition of water.

From A Treatise on Adulterations of Food, and Culinary Poisons Exhibiting the Fraudulent Sophistications of Bread, Beer, Wine, Spiritous Liquors, Tea, Coffee, Cream, Confectionery, Vinegar, Mustard, Pepper, Cheese, Olive Oil, Pickles, and Other Articles Employed in Domestic Economy by Friedrich Christian Accum

The corridores, arcades, and even staircases of their most elegant palaces, are depositories of nastiness, and indeed in summer smell as strong as spirit of hartshorn.

From Travels through France and Italy by T. (Tobias) Smollett

I was at this time sensible of no pain, and little uneasiness; I can give you no better idea of my situation than by repeating my simile of the bowl of spirit of hartshorn.

From Following the Equator, Part 6 by Mark Twain

We have grappled with "spirit," and fixed its meaning in a chemical sense; we have no longer "spirit" of salt, or "spirit" of hartshorn.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse

The "drops" were a preparation of spirit of hartshorn, with other things; they were used in fainting, apoplexies, &c.

From The Tatler, Volume 1, 1899 by George A. Aitken

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