spirit of hartshorn

or spirits of hartshorn

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spirit of hartshorn¹

First recorded in 1675–85