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Glite Dictionary
oil of vitriol

oil of vitriol

9.9
A very strong acid used in factories that can burn skin
  • noun
  • /ɔɪl əv ˈvɪtriəl/
  • Archaic
translation icon : ácido sulfúrico
  • Well, this is the oil of vitriol, otherwise known as sulfuric acid.

Examples

  • Safety goggles are essential when handling oil of vitriol due to its corrosive nature.

  • Manufacturers often use oil of vitriol in the production of fertilizers.

  • In the laboratory, oil of vitriol is mixed with water to create reactions for various experiments.

Synonyms

sulfuric acid
vsoil of vitriol
  • Specialized
11 4.2

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

is the older, historical name for the same acid
vitriol
vsoil of vitriol
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A very strong acid used in factories and science labs

is an older, less used name than the standard modern term

Surface Forms

oil of vitriol singular
oils of vitriol plural

Morphology

oil + of + vitriol

The compound simply names a substance: 'oil' (an oily liquid) + 'vitriol' (sulfuric acid), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer an oily form or substance of vitriol — i.e., sulfuric acid. The 'X of Y' substance-naming pattern is common and cross-linguistically familiar, making the meaning directly derivable despite the term's archaic register.

Etymology

The noun oil of vitriol comes from old chemistry: people heated crystals that looked like glass called vitriol and made a sharp, oily liquid that could burn things. So, the name stayed and today oil of vitriol refers to the very strong liquid 'sulfuric acid' used in industry.