| acetic acid |
a clear, colorless, sour liquid compound that is the main ingredient in vinegar and is used in solvents, acetate fibers, plastics, and other products. |
| acetylsalicylic acid |
aspirin. |
| acid rain |
rain that contains acid from pollution. |
| acid rock |
a form of music popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s that has loud, often distorted sounds and harmonies, and lyrics that suggest psychedelic experiences. |
| acid test |
a stringent, crucial, or definitive test of value or quality. |
| amino acid |
any of the organic acids necessary to build proteins and sustain life, some of which cannot be synthesized in the body and so must be consumed in the diet. |
| arachidonic acid |
an unsaturated fatty acid that is an important component of the cell membrane and is considered an essential nutrient in the diet of most mammals, including humans. |
| arsenic acid |
a poisonous, water-soluble white powder that is used in the making of arsenates, medicines, and insecticides. |
| ascorbic acid |
an organic acid found in many foods, esp. citrus fruits, and required in human nutrition for the production of collagen; vitamin C. |
| aspartic acid |
a nonessential amino acid found in proteins. |
| barbituric acid |
a white crystalline organic acid, used in polymerization and in the manufacture of sedatives and dyes. |
| benzoic acid |
a white crystalline powder used as a preservative and antiseptic in perfumes and flavorings, in synthesizing dyes, and to season tobacco. |
| boric acid |
a white crystalline compound used as a mild antiseptic and in making glass, enamels, fireproofing materials, and other products. |
| bromic acid |
a poisonous acid that is stable only in very dilute form and is used as an oxidizing agent. |
| butyric acid |
an organic acid found in animal milk fats, esp. rancid butter, and used to produce certain fragrances, disinfectants, flavors, and pharmaceuticals. |
| carbolic acid |
phenol. |
| carbonic acid |
a weak colorless unstable acid, present only in solution, formed by dissolving carbon dioxide in water. |
| cevitamic acid |
ascorbic acid. |
| chromic acid |
an acid containing chromium that exists only in solution or in the form of its salts. |
| citric acid |
an acid derived from the juice of the lime, lemon, or pineapple or from the fermentation of sugars, often used as a flavoring. |