Recent Examples on the WebAs well as warming the planet, carbon dioxide has been acidifying the oceans and decreasing the carbonate ions that many clams and oysters need to build their shells.—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Mar. 2024 In some locales, acidifying soil is a must, due to high pH water or soil.—Marlene Simon, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 Apply garden sulfur to the soil to acidify it or feed with an acid-forming fertilizer like Espoma Holly-tone.—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2024 That’s why the oceans have generally been acidifying, as humanity pumps plumes of the gas into the atmosphere.—Matt Simon, WIRED, 18 Jan. 2024 As early as 2008, oyster farms experienced mass die offs because baby oysters couldn’t get enough calcium to form shells in acidifying water.—Krista Langlois, Outside Online, 10 Mar. 2023 For example, as the oceans acidified, creatures like the foraminifera, which constructed their shells of carbon, would have struggled to survive.—WIRED, 28 Sep. 2023 Dog foods formulated for urinary crystals often contain beneficial ingredients like cranberries, which may help acidify urine and discourage crystal formation.—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2023 To gain insight, scientists have turned to reefs near volcanic gas seeps, where CO2 comes up through the reef floor at spots, naturally acidifying the water there to levels anticipated by 2100.—Danielle L. Dixson, Scientific American, 1 June 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acidify.' 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
borrowed from French acidifier, from acideacid entry 1 + -ifier-ify
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