formic acid

noun

for·mic acid | \ ˈfȯr-mik-

Definition of formic acid

: a colorless pungent fuming vesicant liquid acid CH₂O₂ found especially in ants and in many plants and used chiefly in dyeing and finishing textiles

Examples of formic acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hart tells the Guardian that the birds can appear drunk after eating just a few of the insects, perhaps as a result of the formic acid found in the ants’ bodies. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Swarms of Flying Ants Overtaking Great Britain Show Up as Rain on Radar," 20 July 2019 When the Formica ants attack, the high-speed video would show these really quick bursts of formic acid being sprayed from their abdomens and splattering on the trap-jaw ants. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "High-speed video solves how Florida ants furnish their nests with their enemies’ bodies," 18 Nov. 2018 First, the Formica ants squirt the trap-jaw ants with a stream of formic acid that stuns them. — Rachel Becker, The Verge, "High-speed video solves how Florida ants furnish their nests with their enemies’ bodies," 18 Nov. 2018 Entry uses potassium formate, derived from formic acid, a common and easily-synthesized compound. — Joseph N. Distefano, Philly.com, "As storms hit, SynaTek of Souderton ships high-end de-icer," 6 Mar. 2018 By using glycerol, Kenis says that his team was able to reduce the overpotential in that part of their system by nearly two-thirds and churn out formic acid, which is widely used in chemical synthesis. — Robert Service, Science | AAAS, "Two new ways to turn ‘garbage’ carbon dioxide into fuel," 1 Sep. 2017 After helping to make important proteins, formaldehyde gets turned into formic acid and exits the body through urine. — Kat Eschner, Smithsonian, "‘Aspartame Causes Cancer’ Was a Classic Internet Hoax," 27 Jan. 2017

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