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

See Examples For:

sulfuric acid

Many links in the global industrial-supply chain are already being tested — such as lubricants, as well as sulfuric acid, helium and aluminum — because of the disruptions in the Persian Gulf, Lynch said.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

Sulfur, which is used to produce sulfuric acid, is a byproduct of the oil-refining process.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

Municipal water treatment depends on sulfuric acid, as do battery and semiconductor makers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 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 England this latter practice developed about 1951 as a result of a shortage of sulfuric acid, formerly used to burn off the potato vines.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson