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.

---

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 .

---

Etymology

Origin of sulfuric acid

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

The surge gases turned into sulfuric acid, Mr. Tuck writes, “when entering into contact with the water that is in a human body.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Rio Tinto’s Nuton venture is using sulfuric acid and bacteria to remove copper from ores that are otherwise uneconomical to mine, which could boost domestic production.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

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

He poured a little sulfuric acid on the mortar between two bricks.

From Literature