sulfuric acid

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

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 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of sulfuric acid¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

By mixing sulfuric acid with agricultural waste, animal waste or sewage, they create a slurry-like substance called biochar, which is rich in carbon.

From Science Daily

Researchers at Tampere University have discovered that sulfur trioxide can form products other than sulfuric acid in the atmosphere by interacting with organic and inorganic acids.

From Science Daily

The driver who was injured drove a tank truck containing sulfuric acid.

From New York Times

Despite surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, lava-spewing volcanoes, and puffy clouds of sulfuric acid, uninhabitable Venus offers vital lessons about the potential for life on other planets, a new paper argues.

From Science Daily

"There is no other vegetable with a defense mechanism that if you attack it, it will spit sulfuric acid in your eyes."

From Salon