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Glite Dictionary
to acidify the water

to acidify the water

1 6.3
To make water more acidic by adding acid
  • phrasal verb
: acidificar el agua
  • They used a weak acid to acidify the water for the plant experiment.

Examples

  • Don't acidify the water too much!

  • You should not acidify the water in your aquarium without proper knowledge, as it can harm fish.

  • Environmentalists warn that certain pollutants can acidify the water in lakes and rivers.

  • The factory acidifies the water for its processes.

  • Adding lemon juice to the container will acidify the water and create a solution suitable for the experiment.

  • To create a more acidic environment for the plants, gardeners often acidify the water by using vinegar.

  • When sulfur dioxide is dissolved in rainwater, it can acidify the water in lakes and rivers.

Synonyms

to acidify
vsto acidify the water
2 6.1

To make something more acidic or sour

applies specifically to that liquid rather than to anything else
to acidulate
vsto acidify the water
  • Specialized
1 9.4

Make something slightly sour by adding lemon or vinegar

focuses on increasing acid content in that liquid rather than slight taste change

How Neutral

to alkalinize
  • Specialized
1 9.0
to neutralize
  • Specialized
6 5.8
to deacidify
  • Specialized
1 7.7
to acidify the water
1 6.3

Surface Forms

acidify the water infinitive
acidified the water past
acidified the water past participle
acidifying the water present participle
acidifies the water third person singular

Morphology

acidify + the + water

The meaning is fully compositional: 'acidify' means 'make more acidic' and when applied to 'the water' yields 'make the water more acidic', so the overall sense is directly derivable from the constituents. This is a standard verb + object construction common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the words would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Acidify the water shows a simple picture: someone adding acid to water so the liquid becomes more acidic. That's why it means 'to make water more acidic'.