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

Traditional mining operations like lithium and copper consume huge amounts of water, both through mining and ore extraction, which involves leaching the bits of lithium with sulfuric acid. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2024

Volcanic ash can bury crops, damage livestock health, contaminate soil, and poison water supplies, while SO2 mixes with water vapor to form sulfuric acid, contributing to acid rain, which damages vegetation, soils, and water bodies. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

On a more technical level, it's made from cellulose fibers that undergo treatment with sulfuric acid or zinc chloride, which partially dissolves the paper's surface to create a barrier that can resist moisture and high temperatures. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2024

Hal would sooner eat a bag of glass for his midafternoon snack and wash it down with a refreshing serving of sulfuric acid, but turning down Nicol the Folk Hero seems impossible at the moment. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

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