hydrochloric acid

hy·dro·chlo·ric acid | \ ˌhī-drə-ˈklȯr-ik-

Definition of hydrochloric acid

: an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride HCl that is a strong corrosive irritating acid, is normally present in dilute form in gastric juice, and is widely used in industry and in the laboratory

Examples of hydrochloric acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lava entering the ocean is causing small explosions that send tiny particles of hydrochloric acid and volcanic glass into the air. — USA TODAY, "At Santa Fe High School, police had an active-shooter plan. Then the fog of chaos descended," 21 May 2018 Previous studies have also tried to investigate the meteors for sugar -- but this time, researchers used a different extraction method using hydrochloric acid and water. — Jessie Yeung, CNN, "NASA has found sugar in meteorites that crashed to Earth," 21 Nov. 2019 Even worse, hydrochloric acid, the primary chemical used in many drain cleaners, can corrode underground pipes, leaching toxins into the soil. — Mackensy Lunsford, USA TODAY, "You absolutely should not put these Thanksgiving foods in your garbage disposal," 28 Nov. 2019 On May 20, the lava reached the Pacific Ocean, generating laze (a combination of glass, hydrochloric acid and steam) as the molten rock was cooled by the seawater. — Lila Thulin, Smithsonian, "Riveting Footage Captures the Destruction of Last Year’s Volcanic Eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala," 6 Sep. 2019 And in 2018, DEQ confirmed nine separate accidental releases of chemicals — including hydrochloric acid, vinyl chloride, ethylene, chloroform, benzene and other toxic chemicals — during the previous 14 months. — Mark Schleifstein, ProPublica, "I’ve Investigated Industrial Pollution for 35 Years. We’re Going Backwards.," 30 Oct. 2012 As a result, the surrounding air is filled with sulfur dioxide, and the adjacent crater lake has turned green from hydrochloric acid saturation. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "Creepy Catacombs, Islands of Dolls, and 18 Other Terrifying Places for Thrill Seekers," 4 Sep. 2019 Tiny pieces are picked up by the steam cloud, which contains hydrochloric acid that also is created by the interaction of lava and the ocean. — James Rogers, Fox News, "Hawaii volcano: Kilauea lava spews deadly 'laze' plume containing tiny shards of glass," 23 May 2018 Laze plumes occur when lava meets salty sea water and sends up clouds of hydrochloric acid and steam embedded with fine glass particles. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Hawaii Added 875 Acres of Volcanic Land Last Year," 25 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hydrochloric acid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near hydrochloric acid

hydrochlorofluorocarbon

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Last Updated

15 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Hydrochloric acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrochloric%20acid. Accessed 20 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for hydrochloric acid

hydrochloric acid

noun

English Language Learners Definition of hydrochloric acid

chemistry : a strong acid that is used especially in scientific experiments and in manufacturing

See the full definition for hydrochloric acid in the English Language Learners Dictionary

hydrochloric acid

noun

hy·dro·chlo·ric acid | \ ˌhī-drə-ˈklȯr-ik-

Kids Definition of hydrochloric acid

: a strong acid formed by dissolving in water a gas made up of hydrogen and chlorine

hydrochloric acid

noun

hy·dro·chlo·ric acid | \ ˌhī-drə-ˌklōr-ik-, -ˌklȯr-

Medical Definition of hydrochloric acid

: an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride HCl that is a strong corrosive irritating acid, is normally present in dilute form in gastric juice, and is widely used in industry and in the laboratory

— called also muriatic acid