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

Investigators wrote in documents of finding more ominous items that Mr. Jabbar had left behind, including supplies that could be used for an explosive device: acetone, bottles of sulfuric acid and bags labeled as potassium nitrate. —Edgar Sandoval, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2025

Parchment paper is usually treated with a sulfuric acid bath and/or silicone, which makes the paper non-stick and resistant to high heat, moisture, and grease. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Dec. 2024

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

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