acid

¹ac·id

adjective \ˈa-səd\

Definition of ACID

1

a : sour, sharp, or biting to the taste <an acid flavor>

b : sharp, biting, or sour in manner, disposition, or nature <an acid individual> <an acid personality>

c : sharply clear, discerning, or pointed <an acid wit> <acid criticism>

d : piercingly intense and often jarring <acid yellow>

2

a : of, relating to, or being an acid; also : having the reactions or characteristics of an acid <acid soil> <an acid solution>

b of salts and esters : derived by partial exchange of replaceable hydrogen <acid sodium carbonate NaHCO₃>

c : containing or involving the use of an acid (as in manufacture) <an acid bath>

d : marked by or resulting from an abnormally high concentration of acid <acid indigestion>

3

: relating to or made by a process (as in making steel) in which the furnace is lined with acidic material and an acidic slag is used

4

: rich in silica <acid rocks>

— ac·id·ly adverb

— ac·id·ness noun

Examples of ACID

1. He washes his windows with an acid solution of vinegar and water.
2. <with her acid personality, my aunt could be relied upon to bring some much-needed balance to the holiday gush>

Origin of ACID

French or Latin; French acide, from Latin acidus, from acēre to be sour — more at acet-

First Known Use: 1626

Related to ACID

Synonyms

sour, acidic, acidulous, sourish, tart, tartish, vinegary

Antonyms

amiable, good-humored, good-natured, good-tempered

Related Words

dry, soured, unsweetened; pungent, sharp, tangy, zestful, zesty, zingy; astringent, puckery hyperacid

Near Antonyms

sweet; bland, smooth; flat, flavorless, insipid, savorless, tasteless, zestless; dilute, thin, watery, weak

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

Rhymes with ACID

Chasid, Hasid, jassid, placid

²acid

noun

Definition of ACID

1

: a sour substance; specifically : any of various typically water-soluble and sour compounds that in solution are capable of reacting with a base to form a salt, redden litmus, and have a pH less than 7, that are hydrogen-containing molecules or ions able to give up a proton to a base, or that are substances able to accept an unshared pair of electrons from a base

2

: something incisive, biting, or sarcastic <a social satire dripping with acid>

3

: lsd

— ac·idy \ˈa-sə-dē\ adjective

Examples of ACID

1. the acids in your stomach
2. the kinds of acid found in your stomach

First Known Use of ACID

1650

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

Rhymes with ACID

Chasid

acid

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any substance that in water solution tastes sour, changes the colour of acid-base indicators (e.g., litmus), reacts with some metals (e.g., iron) to yield hydrogen gas, reacts with bases to form salts, and promotes certain chemical reactions (e.g., acid catalysis). Acids contain one or more hydrogen atoms that, in solution, dissociate as positively charged hydrogen ions. Inorganic, or mineral, acids include sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and phosphoric acid. Organic acids include carboxylic acids, phenols, and sulfonic acids. Broader definitions of acids cover situations in which water is not present. See also acid-base theory.