sulfuric acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a clear, colorless to brownish, dense, oily, corrosive, water-miscible liquid, H 2 SO 4 , usually produced from sulfur dioxide: used chiefly in the manufacture of fertilizers, chemicals, explosives, and dyestuffs and in petroleum refining.

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sulfuric acid Scientific  

1. A strong corrosive acid. It combines very easily with water, making it a good drying agent. Sulfuric acid is the most widely used acid in industry. It is used to make detergents, dyes, drugs, explosives, pigments, fertilizers, and many other products. It is also the acid in lead-acid electric batteries. Chemical formula: H ₂ SO ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of sulfuric acid

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Maaden erected prefabricated warehouses for the fertilizer and rigged piping systems to move corrosive sulfuric acid, a key ingredient in phosphate production, into stainless-steel tanker trucks.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Contributing to supply-side issues, China started restricting its exports of sulfuric acid in May, according to the Wall Street Journal.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

In addition to sulfur, roughly half of the world’s seaborne supply of sulfuric acid also comes from the Middle East, according to the report from the Congressional Research Service.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Chile imports more sulfuric acid than any other country and uses it to leach copper from huge heaps of ore.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

In the burning of coal and oil and gasoline, we are also putting sulfuric acid into the atmosphere.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan