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Glite Dictionary
formic acid

formic acid

6.6
A colorless, strong-smelling liquid found in ants and some plants used to make dyes and kill insects
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔrmɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido fórmico
  • The researcher noted that formic acid is used in the production of textiles and insecticides.

Examples

  • Ants release formic acid as a defense mechanism against predators.

  • I don't smell formic acid, do you?

    Them! (1954)

  • I found traces-- significant traces of formic acid.

    Glass Trap (2005)

  • We make formic acid, and we make formaldehyde.

  • The leaf hairs transmit a burning dose of formic acid.

    Academic text (1992)

  • So the formic acid basically strips the oxide from the copper oxide and leaves elemental copper in the solution.

  • Formic acid is a colorless liquid that has a strong, pungent odor.

Surface Forms

formic acid singular
formic acids plural

Morphology

formic + acid

Formic acid is a straightforward adjective+noun compound: it denotes an acid of the ‘formic’ type, so a learner who knows the adjective 'formic' and the noun 'acid' can infer it is a specific kind of acid. This follows regular compositional and scientific naming patterns (cf. Spanish 'ácido fórmico', French 'acide formique'), making the meaning directly derivable rather than idiomatic.

Etymology

Formic acid comes from the Latin word formica, which means 'ant'. Scientists found the sharp, sour liquid inside ants and some plants, so the name now means the acid those animals make and the chemical used in industry.