Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
oxyacid

oxyacid

9.3
An acid that has oxygen and hydrogen
  • noun
  • /ˈɑksɪˌæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : oxyácido
  • Sulfuric acid is an example of an oxyacid commonly used in laboratories.

Examples

  • Chemists classify nitric acid as an oxyacid because it contains both hydrogen and oxygen.

  • An oxyacid contains both hydrogen and oxygen.

  • Many industrial processes rely on oxyacids for their chemical properties.

  • Many oxyacids are used in industrial applications.

  • Chemists classify nitric acid as an oxyacid because it contains both hydrogen and oxygen.

  • Sulfuric acid is an example of an oxyacid commonly used in laboratories.

  • Many industrial processes rely on oxyacids for their chemical properties.

Synonyms

oxygen acid
vsoxyacid
  • Specialized
6.6

A chemical that contains oxygen and acts like an acid in water

has identical meaning but uses a different, less common phrasing

Surface Forms

oxyacid singular
oxyacids plural

Morphology

oxyacid = acid (semi-transparent) = oxy + acid

Formed from the combining form 'oxy-' (oxygen) plus 'acid'; the chemistry-specific prefix may be unfamiliar to general learners even though the meaning is logically transparent to those with basic science knowledge.

Etymology

The word oxyacid comes from the Greek root oxy-, which meant 'sharp' and later named the element oxygen because early chemists thought oxygen helped 'make' acids. So an oxyacid is simply an acid that contains oxygen.