Main Entry:

py·ro·lig·ne·ous acid

Pronunciation:

\ˌpī-rō-ˈlig-nē-əs-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French pyroligneux, from pyr- + ligneux woody, from Latin lignosus, from lignum wood — more at ligneous

Date:

1788

: an acid reddish-brown aqueous liquid containing chiefly acetic acid, methanol, wood oils, and tars that is obtained by destructive distillation of wood