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

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

That’s raising questions about alternative routes to get sulfuric acid out of the Middle East, said Edward Meir, an analyst at Marex.

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

It is always raining sulfuric acid on Venus, all over the planet, and not a drop ever reaches the surface.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan