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oxalic acid

noun

, Chemistry.
  1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous acid, H 2 C 2 O 4 ⋅2H 2 O, first discovered in the juice of the wood sorrel species of oxalis and obtained by reacting carbon monoxide with sodium hydroxide or certain carbohydrates with acids or alkalis: used chiefly for bleaching, as a cleanser, and as a laboratory reagent.


oxalic acid

/ ɒkˈsælɪk /

noun

  1. a colourless poisonous crystalline dicarboxylic acid found in many plants: used as a bleach and a cleansing agent for metals. Formula: (COOH) 2 Systematic nameethanedioic acid


oxalic acid

/ ŏk-sălĭk /

  1. A poisonous, crystalline acid found in a number of plants such as sorrel and the leaf blades of rhubarb. It is used for many industrial purposes, including rust removal and bleaching. Chemical formula: C 2 H 2 O 4 .


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Word History and Origins

Origin of oxalic acid1

First recorded in 1785–95

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Word History and Origins

Origin of oxalic acid1

C18: from French oxalique, from Latin oxalis garden sorrel; see oxalis

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