• 1A chemical substance that neutralizes alkalis, dissolves some metals, and turns litmus red; typically, a corrosive or sour-tasting liquid of this kind.

  traces of acid

  Often contrasted with alkali and base

  rainwater is a very weak acid

  Example sentencesExamples

  • A typical trick was to coat a gold object with a metal that could be dissolved by an acid.
  • It can withstand high temperatures and is resistant to many corrosive substances such as acids and alkalis.
  • These same sensors also prevent further stomach contents from entering the duodenum until the stomach acid is neutralized and diluted.
  • Strong acids are corrosive and this one is no exception; the stomach lining must be constantly renewed as it is eaten away.
  • Most of the corrosive acid quickly evaporated from the road that was warmed by early morning sunshine and a fresh breeze helped it to quickly dissipate into the atmosphere.
  • Lactate, your body's buffering agent, neutralizes the acid that builds up in your legs and makes them burn during heavy exertion.
  • I reach down and pry the knife she was holding out of her hands; it's a standard chainsteel model, but with a hollow edge filled with corrosive hexavalent acid.
  • Their roots will penetrate cracks in the rock and produce an organic acid that dissolves calcium carbonate.
  • Railroad crews also were checking the rail lines and a rail car was being sent along the route with a solution of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid.
  • The rotting process releases acids which dissolve metals into liquids which leach out of waste dumps and can poison local rivers.
  • Saliva neutralizes acids that can cause tooth decay, but its production is greatly reduced during sleep.
  • Copper is a moderately reactive metal that dissolves in most acids and alkalis.
  • The element is not very reactive chemically, although it does dissolve in most acids.
  • It combines with most non-metals at high temperatures and reacts with both acids and alkalis.
  • The creek began running the color of old blood, poisoned by acids and heavy metals leached from the coal mines.
  • Additionally, carbon dioxide and organic acids may be added to the water from the soil, where they form by decay of organic matter.
  • Two teenagers were lucky to still have their sight, after they were sprayed in the face with a corrosive acid in an apparently unprovoked attack on Chiswick High Road.
  • It also dissolves in most acids and reacts slowly with water to form compounds that tend to be yellowish or green in color.
  • Concentrated acids and caustic alkalis should be handled with the greatest care.
  • Zinc is a fairly active metal that dissolves in both acids and strong alkalis.

  1. 1.1 Bitter or cutting remarks or tone of voice.
     she was unable to quell the acid in her voice

     Example sentencesExamples

     • The bitterness and acid in his voice reassured me Peter was still in there, but he was very, very upset.
     • ‘Big surprise there,’ Jordan quipped, though with considerably less acid in his voice.
     • Her tone lacked its previous acid; she almost sounded sincere.
     • I guess I hadn't spoken with such acid in my tone for a while.
     • The acid of Mrs Shrewsbury's scorn reached a raw nerve as she pronounced: ‘Men - savages!’

     Synonyms

     sarcasm, sardonicism, dryness, causticity, sharpness, acerbity, acid, bitterness, trenchancy, mordancy, cynicism

• 2Chemistry
  A molecule or other entity that can donate a proton or accept an electron pair in reactions.

  Example sentencesExamples

  • The acid's active ingredient is positively charged hydrogen, so a transfer of electrons takes place between the zinc and the acid.
  • They would like to use their carborane acids to bind protons to atoms of the inert gas xenon.
  • Several years ago, it appeared that the only solid acids that could support high proton transport were those based on sulfates or selenates.
  • Weak acids have dissociable protons like strong acids, but they simply do not dissociate completely.
  • These extra acid molecules are thought to make polyanaline dissolve in water because they are available to interact with water molecules in the liquid the plastic is bathed in.

• 3informal The drug LSD.

  Example sentencesExamples

  • Flashbacks can occur at any time after taking acid, sometimes even after many years.
  • He looked around more, seeing many different things that he would never expect: cocaine, meth and acid.
  • He has used mescaline, cocaine and acid, although he has not indulged in intravenous drugs.
  • Listening to this in the middle of the night is what I'd imagine having a particularly strange trip on acid would be like.
  • That heroin and acid were and are illegal didn't seem to stop him.

Acids are compounds that release hydrogen ions (H⁺) when dissolved in water. Any solution with a pH of less than 7 is acidic, strong acids such as sulfuric or hydrochloric acid having a pH as low as 1 or 2. Most organic acids (carboxylic or fatty acids) contain the carboxyl group COOH

• 1Containing acid or having the properties of an acid; having a pH of less than 7.

  poor, acid soils

  Often contrasted with alkaline or basic

  Example sentencesExamples

  • Boxwood prefer slightly acid to slightly alkaline soil and do very well when planted in early fall.
  • If you have an acid soil, a good way to rectify the situation is to rake lime into the ground in late winter.
  • They need well-drained acid soil and sun or partial shade and are best pruned in March.
  • If shrubs or trees are native to an area with acid soil and you're growing them in alkaline dirt, sure enough they'll probably become bug infested.
  • In the garden it likes sun or partial shade and well-drained acid soil - like most Ericas it dislikes being grown in limy conditions.
  • Mossy lawns that indicate acid soil may be dressed in late November with powdered chalk or lime at a rate of 8oz per sq yard.
  • Preziosa has small mophead flowers that are usually a mix of pink, white and red that never get very blue even on acid soils and that turn crimson in autumn.
  • Azaleas and rhododendrons must have an acid soil.
  • Carrot plants do not grow well in strongly acid soils; therefore, a pH range of 6.0 to 6.8 should be maintained for best results.
  • Corn is less sensitive than legumes to acid soils.
  • Unlike many magnolias, M. stellata will grow just as well on alkaline soils as it will on acid soil.
  • The blunt truth is that the wet acid soils of the Highlands could not support any tolerable standard of living, particularly as the inhabitants could now compare their condition with those in other areas.
  • Sorrel likes rich, moist, acid soil and will even grow in containers.
  • Space them about 6 feet apart in well-drained, slightly acid soil.
  • It used to be that, if you had a very acid soil, the hydrangeas would be bluer; more alkaline soil, your hydrangeas would be pinker.
  • The entrance is enhanced by plants such as ready grown, trees, magnolias and other plants suited to the acid soil of the area with ready grown creepers lining the pillars.
  • So where better to focus than France's Loire Valley, known best for its grapes which thrive on acid soils and produce some of the best and most palatable wines to suit barbecue steaks or fish and seafood.
  • In the case of acid soils, burning decreases acidity, which starts to increase again during the planting period.
  • A specialist plant which prefers soil on the acid side but in pots use a good quality potting mix for Australian natives.
  • Kochian's lab is also working on finding ways to grow crops on marginal lands such as acid soils, where toxic levels of aluminum limit crop production.

  Synonyms

  caustic, corroding, eroding, erosive, abrasive, biting, mordant, burning, stinging

• 2Sharp-tasting or sour.

  acid fruit

  Example sentencesExamples

  • The mild fruit with a sweet and acid taste can get rid of wetness inside, enrich the body's energy and relieve internal heat.
  • It is an acid cherry that provides a bittersweet flavour when fully ripe.
  • I smiled as sweetly as I could and kissed her cheek as I breathed in the pungent acid aroma.
  • On the visit to the GP I saw a locum who said I must sit about for the next week, not use the computer, and keep off acid fruits.
  • It is medium bodied with surprisingly strong flavors, a crisp acid balance and a slightly bitter finish.
  • This may enhance pleasant tastes and decrease salty, bitter, or acid tastes.
  • The taste is mildly acid and always astringent, sometimes very strongly so.
  • They rely on a judicious ratio of noodle, meat and/or vegetables to broth and a sophisticated interplay of flavours which might include salty, sour, acid, sweet and spicy - hot.
  • Sour and acid tastes are liked, and are manifest in the use of lime juice, tamarind, etc.
  • Balsamic vinegar is acid because it's vinegar after all, but when combined with fruits it seems to make a background flavor that enhances natural sweetness of the fruits.
  • You can't eat it fresh because it's so acid, but often these highly acid fruits have the best flavour, and it makes the most wonderful fruit drinks, sorbets, ice creams and other things.

  Synonyms

  acidic, sour, tart, bitter, unsweetened, sharp, biting, acrid, pungent, acerbic, vinegary, vinegarish, acetic, acetous

  1. 2.1 (of a person's remarks or tone) bitter or cutting.
     Example sentencesExamples

     • Northam's acid comments aside, however, Stoppard falls short of his Shakespeare In Love triumph, while John Barry's soundtrack merely ticks over.
     • One final matter is worth mentioning, and this is the acid comments about folklore and folklorists in Alice's diaries.
     • He makes some quite acid comments about the seventies mystical counterculture which make for very amusing reading now.
     • As he took a moment to rest, dropping her feet to the ground but keeping a firm grip on the ruffled sleeve of her shirt, he received an acid remark.
     • She is dressed in a body-hugging, full-length stripper gown and armed with an acid retort for every smart-aleck remark.
     • The intention here is surely to eliminate ‘producer opera’, about which Sharpe makes some acid remarks.
     • Fired by anger and fear, I spun to face my assailant, acid demands on my lips - and the words died.
     • Sadie spat in an acid tone, refusing to even acknowledge that the woman was her mother.
     • His antimilitarism and acid comments on ‘the military mind’ will probably antagonize many present-day soldiers.
     • He has become more prominent since Henry took over in November 1999 and adds the sugar to the coach's acid remarks when things are not going well.
     • ‘Please leave, I do not wish to speak to you,’ she said in quietly acid tones that immediately raised his concern.
     • Ignoring her acid tone, he mumbled, ‘You're very snappy this afternoon.’
     • William looked down in horror as he tried to keep composure, but the very fear of what his acid remarks could do to this man's mood made him gulp and shift once in his feet.
     • The letter ends with more acid advice: Since the politician has a lifetime pension, he'd be better off polishing his golf game.
     • These cases attract great attention, and acid comments from magistrates.
     • Sometimes he brings his wife, to swap acid comments with the bartender.
     • Asked what he thinks about that constant speculation, the Frenchman's acid response is that his counterpart must have a good agent.
     • Her interpretation is perfectly pitched to Catherine's acid sarcasm.
     • Luigi Dallapiccola's acid remark about Vivaldi, often repeated, is misleading.
     • Nevertheless, one writer of independent means abstained from all public pronouncements and confined himself to acid criticisms of the government in his private diary.

     Synonyms

     acerbic, sarcastic, sharp, sardonic, satirical, scathing, cutting, razor-edged
  2. 2.2 (of a color) intense or bright.
     an acid green

     Example sentencesExamples

     • Allfree's bold use of colour - citron, turquoise, acid green, crimson - breathes new life into the building.
     • From the cool modernity of the main space, the bedrooms and bathroom offer a contradictory riot of colour, walls varying from acid green to purple throughout the five bedrooms and bathrooms.
     • White was combined with a rainbow of colours including lilac, baby pink, lemon, acid green and turquoise candy stripes.
     • Then her eyes started to glow an acid green colour that swirled in her eyes, almost manically. ‘Sweet dreams.’
     • I see all these colours against a background of acid yellow, with a touch of green for envy, malice and general discontent.
     • Dark green, ocean blue, metallic greys and whites, black and vibrant flashes of cobalt blue and acid yellow are the season's colours.
     • Anita Dongre presented her pastel collection of chikan work for the Spring-Summer 2001 season in pastel shades of pink, acid green and turquoise blue.
     • Those eyes had undergone a change from murky grunge to acid green as he repeated his question with more ferocity.
     • She reckons you can get away with virtually anything, particularly acid colours.
     • The art students brought their acid colour combinations, their lilacs, tangerines and lime greens from abstract painting.
     • But the real innovation is the fact that you can change the background colour from that acid green to any combination of two intense primary colours.
     • My designs are usually quite dark, but this time the palette has acid greens and pinks.
     • He was tall, about six foot two, with dark hair and acid green eyes.
     • In acid bright livery, these compact vans are the latest word in funky design.
     • She wore an acid green skating dress made by her mother.
     • Throughout, Gozi used muted shades of charcoal-blue and bottle-green with splashes of bright apple, turquoise and acid pink.
     • In a Dolce and Gabanna dress and acid green Philip Treacy hat, antique dealer Sarah Vernon, 38, drew approving glances from fellow-racegoers.
     • Using deft brushwork and a palette of acid greens, vibrant pinks and neon blues, Christine Major presents a series of seductive paintings of animals at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
     • The sky was a dark grey colour, occasionally coloured with deep red and acid green.
     • The tonal approach of Twin Garden is based on a range of greens from forest to acid backed up by a similar variety of pinks and purples.

• 3Geology
  (of rock, especially lava) containing a relatively high proportion of silica.

  Example sentencesExamples

  • In the Southern Central Iberian Zone there are minor acid volcanic rocks intercalated with Caradoc-Ashgill limestones.
  • Acraman occurs in the Gawler Range Volcanics, a Mesoproterozoic continental suite of mainly acid lavas and ash flows.
  • These deposits are intimately associated with the porphyric parts of intermediate to acid plutons in orogenic belts.
  • The Haluut Bulag melange contains lenses of limestone, sandstone, chert, tuff, minor acid volcanic material, and vesicular basalt.
  • At higher elevations on these mountains, the parent material is acid crystalline rock.

  1. 3.1Metallurgy Relating to or denoting steelmaking processes involving silica-rich refractories and slags.
     Example sentencesExamples

     • As it happened, Workington's adherence to acid steelmaking sealed the fate of the ore dock in the next few years.
     • In the acid processes, deoxidation can take place in the furnaces, leaving a reasonable time for the inclusions to rise into the slag and so be removed before casting.
     • Ideally, a non-contact sensor would be inserted into the acid process in an appropriate location and allowed to communicate with a base instrument located remotely in the safe environment of a control room.
     • Therefore, a business opportunity could be created for an entrepreneur interested in running the acid separation and purification process.
     • The wetting agents typically used in the acid process are relatively rinse- free when compared to alkaline systems.