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acid

acid

4 4.2
Having chemical properties that can burn and react with bases
  • adjective
  • /ˈæsɪd/
translation icon : ácido
  • Acid rain controls have been a bargain, but not because of allowance trading per se.
  • acid rain
  • acid rain program

We're still seeing a lot of color blocking, very loud prints, neon and even acid colors that look very artificial.

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Examples

  • Chongqing relies on high-sulfur coal as an energy source, which is contributing to an acid rain problem so severe that buildings are visibly deteriorating.

    Academic text (1995)
  • But this variety, in my opinion, is one of the most low acid sweet yellow tomatoes that exists.

  • Do you enjoy acid rain?

  • The plants that I bought were some acid loving plants.

  • Students in the district have become actively involved in an acid rain study.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Acid rain is an environmental problem that is expected to become less prevalent in Canada during the 1990s.

    Academic text (1992)
  • This is an acid fuchsia with attitude.

  • The plants of this woods were acid-loving and completely different from the barrens' plants.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Acid rain exacerbates the hazards associated with trace metal pollution.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The lemon has an acid flavor that adds zing to dishes.

Synonyms

acidic
vsacid
23 3.9

Having a low pH like lemon juice or vinegar

includes low pH but also covers sharp, sour, and corrosive qualities
acid-tasting
vsacid
3.9

Having a sharp, sour taste like lemon or vinegar

focuses more broadly on chemical and corrosive qualities, not only taste
acidulent
vsacid
9.9

A little sour in taste like a lemon

emphasises chemical or corrosive nature rather than slight taste
acidulous
vsacid
9.6

Slightly sour in taste or tone

is mainly about corrosive or strong chemical properties rather than mild flavour

Antonyms

3 5.0

Not acidic, having a pH above seven like baking soda

Compounds

amino acid
  • Specialized
32 3.4

A small chemical that joins with others to make proteins

fatty acid
  • Specialized
30 3.3

A long acid made of carbon and hydrogen atoms found in fats and oils

acid rain
  • Specialized
16 3.3

Rain made acidic by pollution from factories that harms plants and water

sulfuric acid
  • Specialized
11 4.2

A very strong liquid that can burn skin and metal used in factories and labs

folic acid
  • Specialized
7 3.0

A B vitamin that helps the body make new cells and prevents birth defects in early pregnancy

hydrochloric acid
  • Specialized
6 4.1

A very strong acid that can burn skin and helps the stomach digest food

battery acid
  • Specialized
4 5.8

A strong, dangerous liquid in car batteries that can burn skin

lactic acid
  • Specialized
4 3.8

A substance found in sour milk, some fruits, and muscles after exercise that can make food taste sour

hydrofluoric acid
  • Specialized
4 7.4

A dangerous chemical that eats away glass and can burn skin

3 4.1

An important test that shows if something really works

nucleic acid
  • Specialized
3 4.6

A long molecule like DNA or RNA that stores genetic information in cells

omega-3 fatty acid
  • Specialized
3 3.7

A healthy fat in fish and some plants that helps the heart

oleic acid
  • Specialized
2 5.0

A soft oily acid in olive oil and other fats used to make soaps and creams

nitric acid
  • Specialized
2 4.6

A very strong, dangerous acid that can burn skin and is used to make fertilizers and explosives

carbonic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A weak acid that forms when carbon dioxide dissolves in water and makes the water slightly acidic

citric acid
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A natural sour substance in lemons and other fruits that gives flavor and helps keep food fresh

hyaluronic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A thick natural liquid in the body that holds water and helps joints, skin, and eyes stay wet

hydroxy acid
  • Specialized
1 5.1

An acid that has one or more OH groups attached, like citric acid in fruit

trans fatty acid
  • Specialized
1 4.0

An unhealthy fat that forms when food makers change oil during processing

uric acid
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A chemical the body makes when it breaks down some foods and cells, found in blood and urine

boric acid
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A weak acid used to kill germs and insects and to make glass, paper, and glue

deoxyribonucleic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A long molecule in cells that carries information about how living things grow and look

acid rock
  • Archaic
1 5.7

A 1960s rock style with long guitar solos and unusual sounds often linked to drug use

essential amino acid
  • Specialized
1 3.6

An amino acid the body cannot make and must get from food

phosphoric acid
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A clear chemical with no smell used in fertilizers, food, and household cleaners

domoic acid
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A poison made by some sea algae that can harm the brain and cause memory loss

acetylsalicylic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A common medicine for pain, fever, and inflammation called aspirin

ascorbic acid
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A vitamin found in fruits and vegetables that prevents scurvy and helps keep you healthy

lead-acid battery
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A rechargeable device with lead plates and weak sulphuric acid used in cars and for backup power

muriatic acid
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A strong dangerous liquid used to clean mineral deposits from pipes and pools

glycolic acid
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A clear or white acid from sugar plants used in skin care to remove dead skin

salicylic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A chemical used to make aspirin and to treat acne and other skin problems

tannic acid
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A natural plant substance people use to treat leather and make skin firmer

valproic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A medicine that prevents some seizures and treats mood problems and very bad headaches

1 9.9

A slang name for LSD, a drug that makes people see or hear things that are not real

bile acid
  • Specialized
1 5.0

A substance made in the liver that helps break down and absorb fats

boracic acid
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A weak white chemical that kills germs and helps make glass and ceramics

butyric acid
  • Specialized
1 6.8

An acid in fats that has a very strong unpleasant smell often found in spoiled butter

carbolic acid
  • Archaic
1 8.0

A toxic chemical used to kill germs and to make other chemicals, also called phenol

carboxylic acid
  • Specialized
1 6.1

An organic chemical that has a COOH group and acts like an acid

cholic acid
  • Specialized
1 6.5

A substance in bile that helps break down fats in the intestine

acid head
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A person who regularly takes LSD

alpha-linolenic acid
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A type of healthy fat that your body needs, found in plant oils like flaxseed and canola

linoleic acid
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A liquid fat in plant oils that the body needs and that soap makers use

linolenic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.6

An important fat in some plant oils that the body cannot make

A strong drug called LSD that makes people see or hear things that are not real

malic acid
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A natural substance in fruits that makes them taste sour and adds sourness to foods

gastric acid
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A strong liquid in the stomach that helps break down food

perchloric acid
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A very strong, reactive acid used in labs and factories to make salts

1 4.4

A type of fat in fish and some vegetable oils that can help your heart

tartaric acid
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A white sour powder from fruits used to make food taste sour

benzoic acid
  • Specialized
4.9

A white crystal chemical found in some tree resins and used to preserve food and make other chemicals

7.2

A small chemical the body makes when it breaks down fat, found in blood and urine during fasting or diabetes

butanoic acid
  • Specialized
7.8

A substance in butter and some fats that has a strong unpleasant smell

bromic acid
  • Specialized
9.1

An unstable acid used in chemistry to make other substances react by taking electrons

caproic acid
  • Specialized
8.4

An acid in animal fats with a strong goat-like smell used in flavors and industry

caprylic acid
  • Specialized
9.4

A fatty acid in foods like butter or coconut oil used to make perfumes and food additives

capric acid
  • Specialized
8.1

A chemical found in animal fats and milk that gives a goat-like smell

carbamic acid
  • Specialized
9.9

An acid that cannot be isolated and is known only as parts of other chemicals like ammonium carbamate and urethane

5.7

A colorless, odorless gas called carbon dioxide that plants use to make food

cerotic acid
  • Specialized
9.6

A white solid fatty acid found in natural waxes like beeswax

chloric acid
  • Specialized
8.4

A strong unstable acid with a sharp smell used in labs

chlorous acid
  • Specialized
9.3

An unstable acid that exists only in water and strongly reacts with other substances

chlorohydric acid
  • Specialized
5.3

A strong acid that can burn skin and metal

citric acid cycle
  • Specialized
7.3

A series of chemical reactions in the mitochondria of cells that make energy

chromic acid
  • Specialized
9.1

A strong unstable acid that contains chromium and reacts strongly with other chemicals

chromic-sulfuric acid
  • Specialized
8.4

A very strong mixture of two acids that cleans laboratory glassware

5.5

A substance in muscles that stores and gives quick energy for short bursts of activity

cyanic acid
  • Specialized
9.7

A colorless, very poisonous liquid acid that evaporates easily and breaks down into ammonia and carbon dioxide in water

cyanuric acid
  • Specialized
8.8

A white solid that protects pool chlorine from sunlight

decanedioic acid
  • Specialized
9.1

A chemical with ten carbon atoms and two acid groups used to make strong plastics and resins

decanoic acid
  • Specialized
7.7

A fatty acid found in animal fats and oils with a strong goat-like smell

dibasic acid
  • Specialized
7.2

A chemical that can give two hydrogen atoms to a base and make two salts

How Acidic

caustic
  • Specialized
8 7.6
acid
4 4.2
sour
4 1.0
tangy
15 3.6

Surface Forms

acid positive

Etymology

Acid as an adjective comes from the same Latin root acidus 'sour' and acere 'to be sour', so to call something acid is to say it has the sharp, sour qualities of a chemical acid.