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Glite Dictionary
to acidify the water

to acidify the water

6.3
To make water more acidic by adding acid
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : 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
1 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
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
19 5.8
to deacidify
  • Specialized
7.7
to acidify the water
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'.