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Glite Dictionary
thiocyanic acid

thiocyanic acid

9.9
An unstable acid that chemists make in labs from a thiocyanate salt for experiments
  • noun
  • /ˌθaɪoʊˈsaɪənɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
: ácido tiocianico
  • The laboratory synthesized thiocyanic acid by distilling potassium thiocyanate.

Examples

  • Because thiocyanic acid is unstable, it must be prepared fresh before use in experiments.

  • Researchers noted that thiocyanic acid rapidly decomposes at room temperature.

  • The chemist prepared thiocyanic acid for the experiment.

  • Have you ever worked with thiocyanic acid in your lab?

  • Because thiocyanic acid is unstable, it must be prepared fresh before use in experiments.

  • Researchers noted that thiocyanic acid rapidly decomposes at room temperature.

  • The laboratory synthesized thiocyanic acid by distilling potassium thiocyanate.

Surface Forms

thiocyanic acid singular
thiocyanic acids plural

Morphology

thiocyanic + acid

While 'acid' is a transparent, general lexical item, 'thiocyanic' is a specialist chemical adjective (related to thiocyanate) that is not decomposable into everyday morphemes a B1 learner would know. The specific referent and properties (HSCN, an unstable laboratory acid) are domain-specific and not predictable from the surface parts, so the expression is opaque to an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The name thiocyanic acid comes from three parts: thio- meaning 'sulfur', cyan from a word for 'dark blue' used in 'cyanide', and acid meaning 'acid'. So the name tells you it is an acid that contains sulfur and is related to cyanide.