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: a white crystalline acid B(OH)3 obtained from its salts and used especially as a weak antiseptic and fire-retardant
Examples of boric acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What to do: To get rid of them, boric acid, cockroach traps and sticky traps can be used indoors.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
The first phase will put out 22,000 tons of lithium carbonate powder and about 175,000 tons of boric acid per year.
—Christopher Helman, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Currently, boric acid can be used to treat some vaginal yeast infections, due to its bacteriostatic properties, or its ability to make bacteria stop growing, said Emily Cohen, MD, an emergency medical physician and medical toxicologist at NYU Langone Health.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 3 Aug. 2023
For some women, vaginal boric acid suppositories can help.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 Oct. 2023
The mineral itself is made up of sodium, oxygen, and boron.1
Although borax is commonly confused with boric acid, the two aren't the same.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 3 Aug. 2023
While boric acid is more toxic than its chemical cousin, researchers say 10 grams of borax in adults – and just 5 grams in children – can be fatal.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 28 July 2023
There’s plenty of debate, even among doctors, about whether boric acid suppositories can cure certain vaginal infections.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 24 July 2023
For those with yeast infections, boric acid has been shown to employ an antifungal effect when used in vaginal suppositories.
—Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 9 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boric acid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
boron
First Known Use
1825, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near boric acid
Cite this Entry
“Boric acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boric%20acid. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
boric acid
noun
bo·ric acid
ˌbōr-ik-,
ˌbȯr-
: a white boron-containing weak acid that is used as a mild antiseptic
Medical Definition
boric acid
noun
: a white crystalline acid H3BO3 obtained from its salts and used especially as a weak antiseptic
called also boracic acid, orthoboric acid
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