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

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

It's made from cellulose fibers that are treated with sulfuric acid or sometimes zinc chloride, which partially dissolves the surface, creating a layer that's resistant to heat and moisture. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2024

The second came on Sunday, when Selangor FC’s Faisal Halim, a 26-year-old winger who also plays for the Malaysia men’s national team and scored the goal of the tournament in the 2023 Asian Cup, was splashed with sulfuric acid at a shopping mall outside the capital Kuala Lumpur. —Koh Ewe, TIME, 9 May 2024

When the glycerol is mixed with nitric and sulfuric acid the result is explosive nitroglycerin. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 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