How to Use acetic acid in a Sentence

acetic acid

noun
  • Then, watch out for an acetic acid spray and steer clear of their mouth pinchers.
    Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY, 22 July 2021
  • In the second step, the acetaldehyde becomes acetic acid.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
  • The acetic acid content in apple cider vinegar is said to promote gut health, curb hunger, and more.
    Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2022
  • But the concentration of acetic acid in this is so high, it should be labeled a poison.
    Peter Andrey Smith, Outside Online, 5 July 2018
  • In one study, Sneddon and colleagues injected the mouths of fish with acetic acid (vinegar).
    Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2023
  • The next day, in another part of the lab, Crook injected a small bead of acetic acid into one of the octopus’s arms.
    Anna Blaustein, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2021
  • What most surprised the researchers was the presence of bacteria that produce acetic acid, which is present in vinegar, in about 30% of the starters.
    ABC News, 4 Apr. 2021
  • Was there something specific to acetic acid that made the reaction yield spongy stuff?
    Eva Botkin-Kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Nov. 2020
  • The La Porte Complex, located about 25 miles east of Houston, is the world's third largest producer of glacial acetic acid.
    Diane Herbst, PEOPLE.com, 28 July 2021
  • These yeasts and bacteria create acetic acid, the same acid that makes vinegar, well, vinegar.
    Marissa A. Ross, Bon Appetit, 16 Jan. 2018
  • And acetic acid could be made from fermentation of microorganisms -- such as food waste.
    Katie Hunt, CNN, 16 Sep. 2020
  • But studies do show acetic acid can be used as one tool in helping people lower blood sugar.
    Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 10 Mar. 2021
  • Some studies linked acetic acid with a mild reduction in blood sugar spikes after meals.
    Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, 21 Nov. 2018
  • The acetic acid in vinegar neutralizes the molecules that carry odors.
    Brie Dyas, Country Living, 12 June 2020
  • Because acetic acid easily bonds with volatile molecules, a light mist of it will banish odor from your house.
    Dan Seitz, Popular Science, 10 Mar. 2021
  • Starters made using teff, amaranth, and buckwheat were all lacking the acetic acid bacteria.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 12 Oct. 2023
  • Another study found that acetic acid can help reduce appetite.
    Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022
  • But glacial acetic acid is a flammable liquid that can cause severe skin burns and eye damage, according to the National Library of Medicine.
    Diane Herbst, PEOPLE.com, 28 July 2021
  • Wang hopes that in the future, the technology could produce other useful products like ethanol and acetic acid.
    Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 4 Sep. 2019
  • Then, a bacteria converts that ethanol into acetic acid, which is the main component in vinegar.
    Clarissa Wei, Bon Appétit, 29 May 2021
  • Even worse, the microbes in the industrial starter were pumping out acetic acid, the key ingredient in vinegar.
    Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2017
  • Alas, the microbes in the industrial starter were pumping out acetic acid, the key ingredient in vinegar.
    Veronique Greenwood, The Seattle Times, 9 Dec. 2017
  • In its simplest chemical form, acetate, or acetic acid, is vinegar.
    Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 13 Apr. 2020
  • Some produce more lactic acid, which gives a yogurty flavor; others yield a sharper, more vinegary note from lots of acetic acid.
    Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020
  • To sanitize a sponge, soak it in white vinegar (the acetic acid in vinegar kills bacteria and eliminates odors, Berliet says), or put it in the dishwasher.
    Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2020
  • The alcohol in that liquid gets fermented into acetic acid.
    Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 19 June 2023
  • But when Sneddon dissolved painkillers in the plain chamber, the fish that had been injected with acetic acid left the enriched tank for, presumably, the pain relief offered by the other chamber.
    Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2023
  • Apple cider vinegar is a kind of vinegar that’s made in a fermentation process, which (put simply) converts crushed apples to acetic acid by way of yeast and sugar.
    Hannah Coates, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2023
  • The chemicals involved were two types of ethanol, two types of acetic acid, benzene and acetone, according a copy of an agreement with the company provided by the EPA.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2022
  • For instance, acetic acid in a fabric display-case liner might be safe for a clothing exhibit but would corrode metallic art.
    National Geographic, 23 July 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acetic acid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: