sulfuric acid

American

noun

Chemistry.

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.

sulfuric acid Scientific

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 .

Etymology

Origin of sulfuric acid

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

DRAGOON, Ariz.—In the boulder-strewn desert east of Tucson, miners are using sulfuric acid and bacteria to bring online the first new U.S. copper production in more than a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

It is not cozy like our planet though, since it is mainly made of carbon dioxide and thick clouds of sulfuric acid - more like hot and burning!

From Space Scoop • Jul. 8, 2025

By mixing sulfuric acid with agricultural waste, animal waste or sewage, they create a slurry-like substance called biochar, which is rich in carbon.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2024

The driver who was injured drove a tank truck containing sulfuric acid.

From New York Times • May 16, 2024

At 60 kilometers, we plunge into the clouds, and find ourselves surrounded by droplets of concentrated sulfuric acid.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023