hydrochloric acid

noun

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 Also released in liquid form were 667 pounds of chlorobenzene, 3 pounds of hydrochloric acid, 292 pounds of MDI and 21 pounds of phosgene. — Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com, "A look at the 25 Rubicon accidental releases over 10 years that potentially exposed 130 workers," 3 Jan. 2021 Muriatic acid is a slightly less potent form of hydrochloric acid. — Popular Mechanics, "How to Safely Use Muriatic Acid," 6 Oct. 2020 Even if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water and other fluids will help wash it down ... the hydrochloric acid in your stomach will kill the germs. — Devon Link, USA TODAY, "Fact check: Will holding your breath for 10 seconds reveal if you have coronavirus?," 23 Mar. 2020 The reason Tums work so well is because their main ingredient, calcium carbonate is basic and when exposed to the hydrochloric acid in your stomach, the carbonate group binds to the hydrogen. — Claire Maldarelli, Popular Science, "What happens if you eat too many Tums?," 28 May 2018 Others are terrestrially bizarre, such as hydrochloric acid with an extra proton and hydrogen peroxide with one of its hydrogen atoms amputated. — Ryan C. Fortenberry, Scientific American, "The First Molecule in the Universe," 1 Feb. 2020 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

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

11 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Hydrochloric acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrochloric%20acid. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

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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