acetic acid
noun Chemistry.
a colorless, pungent, water-miscible liquid, C2H4O2, the essential constituent of vinegar, produced by oxidation of acetaldehyde, bacterial action on ethyl alcohol, the reaction of methyl alcohol with carbon monoxide, and other processes: used chiefly in the manufacture of acetate fibers and in the production of numerous esters that are solvents and flavoring agents.
Compare
glacial acetic acid.
Origin of acetic acid
First recorded in 1800–10
Words nearby acetic acid
acetate,
acetate rayon,
acetate-coa ligase,
acetazolamide,
acetic,
acetic acid,
acetic anhydride,
acetic ether,
acetify,
acetimeter,
acetin
Example sentences from the Web for acetic acid
It is also important to note that the lactic-acid ferment is not so sensitive to hydrochloric acid as the acetic-acid ferment.
On Digestive Proteolysis |R. H. Chittenden
British Dictionary definitions for acetic acid
acetic acid
noun
a colourless pungent liquid, miscible with water, widely used in the manufacture of acetic anhydride, vinyl acetate, plastics, pharmaceuticals, dyes, etc. Formula: CH 3 COOH
Systematic name: ethanoic acid See also glacial acetic acid, vinegar
Medical definitions for acetic acid
acetic acid
[ ə-sē′tĭk ]
n.
A clear, colorless organic acid with a distinctive pungent odor, the chief acid of vinegar, also used as a solvent.
ethanoic acid
Scientific definitions for acetic acid
acetic acid
A clear, colorless organic acid having a distinctive pungent odor. It is used as a solvent and in the manufacture of rubber, plastics, acetate fibers, pharmaceuticals, and photographic chemicals. Acetic acid is the chief acid of vinegar. Chemical formula: C2H4O2.