Adjacent Words

Acid definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AC'ID, a. [L. acidus. See Edge.]
Sour, sharp or biting to the taste, having the taste of vinegar, as acid fruits or liquors.
AC'ID, n. In chimistry, acids are a class of substances, so denominated from their taste, or the sensation of sourness which they produce on the tongue. But the name is now given to several substances, which have not this characteristic in an eminent degree. The properties, by which they are distinguished, are these:
1. When taken into the mouth, they occasion the taste of sourness. They are corrosive, unless diluted with water; and some of them are caustic.
2. They change certain vegetable blue colors to red, and restore blue colors which have been turned green, or red colors which have been turned blue by an alkali.
3. Most of them unite with water in all proportions, with a condensation of volume and evolution of heat; and many of them have so strong an attraction for water, as not to appear in the solid state.
4. They have a stronger affinity for alkalies, than these have for any other substance; and in combining them, most of them produce effervescence.
5. They unite with earths, alkalies and metallic oxyds, forming interesting compounds, usually called salts.
6. With few exceptions, they are volatilized or decomposed by a moderate heat.
The old chimists divided acids into animal, vegetable, and mineral - a division now deemed inaccurate. They are also divided into oxygen acids, hydrogen acids, and acids destitute of these acidifiers. Another division is into acids with simple radicals, acids with double radicals, acids with triple radicals, acids with unknown radicals, compound acids, dubious acids, and acids destitute of oxygen.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique" [syn: acerb, acerbic, acid, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic]
2: being sour to the taste [syn: acidic, acid, acidulent, acidulous]
3: having the characteristics of an acid; "an acid reaction" n
1: any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and capable of turning litmus red and reacting with a base to form a salt
2: street name for lysergic acid diethylamide [syn: acid, back breaker, battery-acid, dose, dot, Elvis, loony toons, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, pane, superman, window pane, Zen]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: French or Latin; French acide, from Latin acidus, from ac?re to be sour — more at acet- Date: 1626 1. a. sour, sharp, or biting to the taste b. sharp, biting, or sour in manner, disposition, or nature <an acid individual> c. sharply clear, discerning, or pointed <an acid wit> d. piercingly intense and often jarring <acid yellow> 2. a. of, relating to, or being an acid; also having the reactions or characteristics of an acid <acid soil> <an acid solution> b. of salts and esters derived by partial exchange of replaceable hydrogen <acid sodium carbonate NaHCO₃> c. containing or involving the use of an acid (as in manufacture) d. marked by or resulting from an abnormally high concentration of acid <acid indigestion> 3. relating to or made by a process (as in making steel) in which the furnace is lined with acidic material and an acidic slag is used 4. rich in silica <acid rocks> • acidly adverb • acidness noun II. noun Date: 1696 1. a sour substance; specifically any of various typically water-soluble and sour compounds that in solution are capable of reacting with a base to form a salt, redden litmus, and have a pH less than 7, that are hydrogen-containing molecules or ions able to give up a proton to a base, or that are substances able to accept an unshared pair of electrons from a base 2. something incisive, biting, or sarcastic <a social satire dripping with acid> 3. LSD • acidy adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 Chem. a any of a class of substances that liberate hydrogen ions in water, are usu. sour and corrosive, turn litmus red, and have a pH of less than 7. b any compound or atom donating protons. 2 (in general use) any sour substance. 3 sl. the drug LSD. --adj. 1 sharp-tasting, sour. 2 biting, sharp (an acid wit). 3 Chem. having the essential properties of an acid. 4 Geol. containing much silica. 5 (of a colour) intense, bright. Phrases and idioms: acid drop Brit. a kind of sweet with a sharp taste. acid-head sl. a user of the drug LSD. acid house a kind of synthesized music with a simple repetitive beat, often associated with the taking of hallucinogenic drugs. acid radical one formed by the removal of hydrogen ions from an acid. acid rain acid formed in the atmosphere esp. from industrial waste gases and falling with rain. acid test 1 a severe or conclusive test. 2 a test in which acid is used to test for gold etc. put the acid on Austral. sl. seek to extract a loan or favour etc. from. Derivatives: acidic adj. acidimeter n. acidimetry n. acidly adv. acidness n. Etymology: F acide or L acidus f. acere be sour

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Acid Ac"id, n. 1. A sour substance. 2. (Chem.) One of a class of compounds, generally but not always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors. They are also characterized by the power of destroying the distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen are sometimes called hydracids in distinction from the others which are called oxygen acids or oxacids. Note: In certain cases, sulphur, selenium, or tellurium may take the place of oxygen, and the corresponding compounds are called respectively sulphur acids or sulphacids, selenium acids, or tellurium acids. When the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a positive element or radical, a salt is formed, and hence acids are sometimes named as salts of hydrogen; as hydrogen nitrate for nitric acid, hydrogen sulphate for sulphuric acid, etc. In the old chemistry the name acid was applied to the oxides of the negative or nonmetallic elements, now sometimes called anhydrides.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Acid Ac"id, a. [L. acidus sour, fr. the root ak to be sharp: cf. F. acide. Cf. Acute.] 1. Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered. He was stern and his face as acid as ever. --A. Trollope. 2. Of or pertaining to an acid; as, acid reaction.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(acids) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. An acid is a chemical substance, usually a liquid, which contains hydrogen and can react with other substances to form salts. Some acids burn or dissolve other substances that they come into contact with. ...citric acid... N-MASS 2. An acid substance contains acid. These shrubs must have an acid, lime-free soil. ADJ • acidity ...the acidity of rainwater. N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 3. The drug LSD is sometimes referred to as acid. (INFORMAL) N-UNCOUNT 4. see also amino acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, nucleic acid, sulphuric acid

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Sour, tart, sharp, pricking, stinging, pungent.

Moby Thesaurus

DET, DMT, Foamite, LSD, Mary Jane, STP, THC, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acerbity, acetic, acetose, acetous, acetylsalicylic acid, acid, acidic, acidity, acidulant, acidulated, acidulent, acidulous, acidulousness, acrid, acrimonious, acrimony, actual cautery, agent, alkali, alkalinity, alloisomer, amino acid, ammono acid, angry, animosity, anion, antacid, antidepressant, aqua fortis, aqua regia, arsenic acid, ascorbic acid, asperity, asperous, aspirin, astringent, ataractic, atom, automatic sprinkler, base, basic, battery acid, benzoic acid, bile, biochemical, biting, bitter, bitter resentment, bitterness, bitterness of spirit, boric acid, brand, brand iron, branding iron, bread-and-butter pickle, burning, butyric acid, carbolic acid, carbon tet, carbon tetrachloride, carbon-dioxide foam, carbonic acid, cation, caustic, causticity, cauter, cauterant, cauterizer, cautery, chemical, chemical element, chemicobiological, chemicoengineering, chemicomineralogical, chemicophysical, chemurgic, chloric acid, chlorous acid, chokecherry, choler, choleric, chromic acid, chromoisomer, citric acid, compound, copolymer, copolymeric, copolymerous, corroding, corrosive, crab apple, cutting, cyanic acid, deck gun, deluge set, diethyltryptamine, dill pickle, dimer, dimeric, dimerous, dimethyltryptamine, discontented, double-edged, driving, dry, edged, effective, electrocautery, electrochemical, element, elemental, elementary, embittered, escharotic, extinguisher, feeling evil, fierce, fire apparatus, fire engine, fire hose, fire hydrant, fireplug, fluoric acid, foam, foam extinguisher, forceful, forcible, formic acid, gage, gall, ganja, gnashing of teeth, grass, green apple, gutsy, hallucinogen, hard feelings, harsh, hash, hashish, hay, heartburning, heavy chemicals, hemp, heteromerous, high polymer, homopolymer, hook-and-ladder, hot iron, hydracid, hydrochloric acid, hydrocyanic acid, hyperacid, hypochlorous acid, imperative, impressive, incisive, inorganic chemical, ion, irritating, isomer, isomerous, joint, kava, keen, lactic acid, ladder pipe, lemon, lignosulphonic acid, lime, lunar caustic, macrochemical, macromolecule, malic acid, marijuana, mescal, mescal bean, mescal button, mescaline, metamer, metameric, mind-altering drug, mind-blowing drug, mind-expanding drug, molecule, monomer, monomerous, mordacious, mordant, morning glory seeds, moxa, muriatic acid, nervous, neutralizer, niacin, nicotinic acid, nonacid, nose-tickling, oil of vitriol, organic chemical, out of humor, out of sorts, out of temper, oxalic acid, oxyacid, pectic acid, penetrating, perboric acid, perchloric acid, peyote, phenol, phosphoric acid, photochemical, physicochemical, phytochemical, pickle, picric acid, piercing, piquant, poignant, polymer, polymeric, pot, potential cautery, powerful, prussic acid, pseudoisomer, psilocin, psilocybin, psychedelic, psychic energizer, psychoactive drug, psychochemical, psychotomimetic, pumper, punchy, pungent, radical, radiochemical, radium, rancor, rancorous, rankled, rankling, reagent, reefer, resentful, resenting, rigorous, roach, rough, salicylic acid, scathing, scorching, sensational, severe, sharp, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, slow burn, snorkel, soda, sore, soreness, sour, sour balls, sour cream, sour grapes, sour pickle, sourdough, spleen, splenetic, sprinkler, sprinkler head, sprinkler system, stabbing, stewing, stick, stinging, strident, striking, stringent, strong, subacid, subacidulous, sulfacid, sulfuric acid, super-pumper, tart, tea, telling, thermochemical, tranquilizer, trenchant, trimer, vehement, verjuice, vigorous, vinegar, violent, virulence, virulent, vital, vitriol, vitriolic, water, water cannon, weed, wet blanket, withering, yogurt