sulfuric acid

noun

: a heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H2SO4 that is colorless when pure and is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent
Is it sulfur or sulphur?: Usage Guide

The spelling sulfur predominates in U.S. technical usage, while both sulfur and sulphur are common in general usage. British usage tends to favor sulphur for all applications. The same pattern is seen in most of the words derived from sulfur.

Examples of sulfuric acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first step was to create the collodion: gun cotton (cotton soaked in nitric and sulfuric acids and dried) was dissolved in ether and alcohol. Anika Burgess july 17, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025 Button cell or coin batteries: Used in watches, hearing aids, and small electronics, these often contain silver or mercury and must be treated as hazardous waste. Lead-acid batteries: These are what car batteries (and some lawn equipment batteries) are made of and contain lead and sulfuric acid. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 June 2025 So are industrial pollutants, like sulfuric acid and ammonia gases, which collide with other molecules in the atmosphere to form aerosols. Max G. Levy, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025 For example, life in a sulfuric acid sea would have to use something sturdier in place of sugars, which disintegrate very quickly in sulfuric acid. Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sulfuric acid

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sulfuric acid was in 1788

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Cite this Entry

“Sulfuric acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sulfuric%20acid. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sulfuric acid

noun
: a heavy oily strong acid that is colorless when pure and eats away at many solid substances

Medical Definition

sulfuric acid

noun
: a heavy corrosive oily dibasic strong acid H2SO4 that is colorless when pure and is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent see oil of vitriol

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