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Glite Dictionary
pyroligneous acid

pyroligneous acid

9.9
A reddish-brown liquid made by heating wood that contains vinegar and gives a smoky taste
  • noun
  • /ˌpaɪrəˈlɪnɪəs ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido piroligneo
  • The smoky taste in some foods comes from flavoring with pyroligneous acid.

Examples

  • Historically, pyroligneous acid was used as a source of acetic acid in industry.

  • After the distillation process, pyroligneous acid is collected for further chemical separation.

  • The chemist studied pyroligneous acid in detail.

  • Many industries use pyroligneous acids for various applications.

  • After the distillation process, pyroligneous acid is collected for further chemical separation.

  • Historically, pyroligneous acid was used as a source of acetic acid in industry.

  • The smoky taste in some foods comes from flavoring with pyroligneous acid.

Synonyms

wood vinegar
vspyroligneous acid
  • Specialized
9.0

A reddish-brown liquid that comes from heating wood and cooling the smoke

focuses on its makeup, listing acids, alcohols, and oily tars

Surface Forms

pyroligneous acid singular
pyroligneous acids plural

Morphology

pyroligneous + acid

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'pyroligneous' (derived from wood by heat/destructive distillation) combined with 'acid' (an acidic substance) directly yields the meaning 'an acid obtained from wood by heating/distillation'. Although technical and rare, it follows a regular modifier+noun pattern, so a learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun pyroligneous acid comes from old words meaning pyro ('fire') and ligneous ('wood'). It was made by burning wood and collecting the dark, sour liquid that came from the smoke, so the name points to the smoky, acidic liquid produced from wood.