| a colorless, irritating, fuming, water-soluble liquid, CH2O2, originally obtained from ants and now manufactured synthetically, used in dyeing and tanning and in medicine chiefly as a counterirritant and astringent. |
| formic acid n. A colorless caustic fuming liquid, HCOOH, used in dyeing and finishing textiles and paper and in the manufacture of fumigants, insecticides, and refrigerants. [From its natural occurrence in ants.] |
formic acid for·mic acid (fôr'mĭk)
n.
A colorless caustic fuming liquid used in dyeing and finishing textiles and paper and in the manufacture of fumigants, insecticides, and refrigerants.
formic acid  (fôr'mĭk) Pronunciation Key
A colorless, caustic, fuming liquid that occurs naturally as the poison of ants and stinging nettles. It is used in making textiles and paper and in insecticides. Formic acid is the simplest organic acid, containing a carboxyl (COOH) group attached to a hydrogen. Chemical formula: CH2O2. |