tannic acid

[ tan-ik as-id ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a form of tannin with weak acidity, used commercially in dyes and wood stains; corrosion inhibitors; certain antihistamine, antitussive, and antidiarrhea medications; and especially wine, beer, and other beverages that benefit from its clarifying and aroma-enhancing properties: Aleppo galls are among the principal sources of tannic acid.

tannic acid

/ tăn′ĭk /

1. A lustrous, yellow-brown, amorphous substance, having the approximate chemical composition C 76 H 52 O 46 . It is derived from the bark and fruit of many plants and is used in tanning leather, in fixing dyes to materials, and in clarifying wine and beer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tannic acid¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Apparently, the tannic acid in the tea helped stop bleeding.

From Seattle Times

“Any biomass that contains theanine or tannic acid would be okay,” he says.

From Nature

Briony prepared the tannic acid in a bowl and took the roll of cotton wool.

From Literature

The treatment at the time — silver nitrate, opium and tannic acid enemas — destroyed his intestines.

From New York Times

He also discovered many useful compounds, among them ammonia, glycerin, and tannic acid, and was the first to see the commercial potential of chlorine as a bleach–all breakthroughs that made other people extremely wealthy.

From Literature