acetic acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, pungent, water-miscible liquid, C 2 H 4 O 2 , the essential constituent of vinegar, produced by oxidation of acetaldehyde, bacterial action on ethyl alcohol, the reaction of methyl alcohol with carbon monoxide, and other processes: used chiefly in the manufacture of acetate fibers and in the production of numerous esters that are solvents and flavoring agents.

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acetic acid British  

noun

1. Systematic name: ethanoic acid.  a colourless pungent liquid, miscible with water, widely used in the manufacture of acetic anhydride, vinyl acetate, plastics, pharmaceuticals, dyes, etc. Formula: CH 3 COOH See also glacial acetic acid vinegar

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acetic acid Scientific  

1. A clear, colorless organic acid having a distinctive pungent odor. It is used as a solvent and in the manufacture of rubber, plastics, acetate fibers, pharmaceuticals, and photographic chemicals. Acetic acid is the chief acid of vinegar. Chemical formula: C ₂ H ₄ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of acetic acid

First recorded in 1800–10

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How does acetic-acid compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• glacial acetic acid vs. acetic acid

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acetic acid

They include companies like Chemours and Tronox, which make titanium dioxide, a pigment used in paint and wallpaper, and Celanese, which produces acetic acid, a key ingredient in many industrial products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

Sixty jobs will go at the Ineos Acetyls site near Hull, which makes products including acetic acid used in manufacturing.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025

By varying the size of tin used from single atoms to ultrasmall clusters and also to larger nano-crystallites, the team could control the CO2 conversion to acetic acid, ethanol and formic acid, respectively.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

Bacteria, colored blue, metabolize sugars and release byproducts such as lactic acid and acetic acid.

From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2024

The gallium salts are precipitated by alkaline carbonates and by barium carbonate, but not by sulphuretted hydrogen unless in acetic acid solution.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various