sulfuric acid
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noun Chemistry.
a clear, colorless to brownish, dense, oily, corrosive, water-miscible liquid, H2SO4, usually produced from sulfur dioxide: used chiefly in the manufacture of fertilizers, chemicals, explosives, and dyestuffs and in petroleum refining.
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Also called oil of vitriol.
Origin of sulfuric acid
First recorded in 1780–90
Words nearby sulfuric acid
sulfur dye, sulfureous, sulfuret, sulfureted hydrogen, sulfuric, sulfuric acid, sulfuric anhydride, sulfuric ether, sulfurize, sulfurous, sulfurous acid
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for sulfuric acid
Medical definitions for sulfuric acid
sulfuric acid
[ sŭl-fyur′ĭk ]
n.
A colorless, nearly odorless, corrosive liquid that is used occasionally as a caustic.vitriol
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for sulfuric acid
sulfuric acid
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: H2SO4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.