acid(s = adj.all) acerb, acerbic, acrid, bitter, blistering, caustic, sulfurous, sulphurous, virulent, vitriolic - harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique"
acid(s = adj.all) acidic, acidulent, acidulous - being sour to the taste; Array
acid(s = adj.all) Array - having the characteristics of an acid; "an acid reaction"

Derived forms noun acid₁, noun acidity₁

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CIDE DICTIONARY

acid, a. [L. acidus sour, fr. the root ak to be sharp: cf. F. acide. Cf. Acute.].

Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered. [1913 Webster]
"He was stern and his face as acid as ever." [1913 Webster]
Of or pertaining to an acid; as, acid reaction. [1913 Webster]

acid, n.

A sour substance. [1913 Webster]
One of a class of compounds, generally but not always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors. They are also characterized by the power of destroying the distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen are sometimes called hydracids in distinction from the others which are called oxygen acids or oxacids. [1913 Webster]
" In certain cases, sulphur, selenium, or tellurium may take the place of oxygen, and the corresponding compounds are called respectively sulphur acids or sulphacids, selenium acids, or tellurium acids. When the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a positive element or radical, a salt is formed, and hence acids are sometimes named as salts of hydrogen; as hydrogen nitrate for nitric acid, hydrogen sulphate for sulphuric acid, etc. In the old chemistry the name acid was applied to the oxides of the negative or nonmetallic elements, now sometimes called anhydrides." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

acid, n. & adj.
--n.
1 Chem. a any of a class of substances that liberate hydrogen ions in water, are usu. sour and corrosive, turn litmus red, and have a pH of less than 7. b any compound or atom donating protons.
2 (in general use) any sour substance.
3 sl. the drug LSD.
--adj.
1 sharp-tasting, sour.
2 biting, sharp (an acid wit).
3 Chem. having the essential properties of an acid.
4 Geol. containing much silica.
5 (of a colour) intense, bright.

Idiom

acid drop Brit. a kind of sweet with a sharp taste. acid-head sl. a user of the drug LSD. acid house a kind of synthesized music with a simple repetitive beat, often associated with the taking of hallucinogenic drugs. acid radical one formed by the removal of hydrogen ions from an acid. acid rain acid formed in the atmosphere esp. from industrial waste gases and falling with rain. acid test
1 a severe or conclusive test.
2 a test in which acid is used to test for gold etc. put the acid on Austral. sl. seek to extract a loan or favour etc. from.

Derivative

acidic adj. acidimeter n. acidimetry n. acidly adv. acidness n.

Etymology

F acide or L acidus f. acere be sour

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THESAURUS

acid

DET, DMT, Foamite, LSD, Mary Jane, STP, THC, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acerbity, acetic, acetose, acetous, acetylsalicylic acid, acid, acidic, acidity, acidulant, acidulated, acidulent, acidulous, acidulousness, acrid, acrimonious, acrimony, actual cautery, agent, alkali, alkalinity, alloisomer, amino acid, ammono acid, angry, animosity, anion, antacid, antidepressant, aqua fortis, aqua regia, arsenic acid, ascorbic acid, asperity, asperous, aspirin, astringent, ataractic, atom, automatic sprinkler, base, basic, battery acid, benzoic acid, bile, biochemical, biting, bitter, bitter resentment, bitterness, bitterness of spirit, boric acid, brand, brand iron, branding iron, bread-and-butter pickle, burning, butyric acid, carbolic acid, carbon tet, carbon tetrachloride, carbon-dioxide foam, carbonic acid, cation, caustic, causticity, cauter, cauterant, cauterizer, cautery, chemical, chemical element, chemicobiological, chemicoengineering, chemicomineralogical, chemicophysical, chemurgic, chloric acid, chlorous acid, chokecherry, choler, choleric, chromic acid, chromoisomer, citric acid, compound, copolymer, copolymeric, copolymerous, corroding, corrosive, crab apple, cutting, cyanic acid, deck gun, deluge set, diethyltryptamine, dill pickle, dimer, dimeric, dimerous, dimethyltryptamine, discontented, double-edged, driving, dry, edged, effective, electrocautery, electrochemical, element, elemental, elementary, embittered, escharotic, extinguisher, feeling evil, fierce, fire apparatus, fire engine, fire hose, fire hydrant, fireplug, fluoric acid, foam, foam extinguisher, forceful, forcible, formic acid, gage, gall, ganja, gnashing of teeth, grass, green apple, gutsy, hallucinogen, hard feelings, harsh, hash, hashish, hay, heartburning, heavy chemicals, hemp, heteromerous, high polymer, homopolymer, hook-and-ladder, hot iron, hydracid, hydrochloric acid, hydrocyanic acid, hyperacid, hypochlorous acid, imperative, impressive, incisive, inorganic chemical, ion, irritating, isomer, isomerous, joint, kava, keen, lactic acid, ladder pipe, lemon, lignosulphonic acid, lime, lunar caustic, macrochemical, macromolecule, malic acid, marijuana, mescal, mescal bean, mescal button, mescaline, metamer, metameric, mind-altering drug, mind-blowing drug, mind-expanding drug, molecule, monomer, monomerous, mordacious, mordant, morning glory seeds, moxa, muriatic acid, nervous, neutralizer, niacin, nicotinic acid, nonacid, nose-tickling, oil of vitriol, organic chemical, out of humor, out of sorts, out of temper, oxalic acid, oxyacid, pectic acid, penetrating, perboric acid, perchloric acid, peyote, phenol, phosphoric acid, photochemical, physicochemical, phytochemical, pickle, picric acid, piercing, piquant, poignant, polymer, polymeric, pot, potential cautery, powerful, prussic acid, pseudoisomer, psilocin, psilocybin, psychedelic, psychic energizer, psychoactive drug, psychochemical, psychotomimetic, pumper, punchy, pungent, radical, radiochemical, radium, rancor, rancorous, rankled, rankling, reagent, reefer, resentful, resenting, rigorous, roach, rough, salicylic acid, scathing, scorching, sensational, severe, sharp, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, slow burn, snorkel, soda, sore, soreness, sour, sour balls, sour cream, sour grapes, sour pickle, sourdough, spleen, splenetic, sprinkler, sprinkler head, sprinkler system, stabbing, stewing, stick, stinging, strident, striking, stringent, strong, subacid, subacidulous, sulfacid, sulfuric acid, super-pumper, tart, tea, telling, thermochemical, tranquilizer, trenchant, trimer, vehement, verjuice, vigorous, vinegar, violent, virulence, virulent, vital, vitriol, vitriolic, water, water cannon, weed, wet blanket, withering, yogurt

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ROGET THESAURUS

acid

Calefaction

N calefaction, increase of temperature, heating, calefaction, tepefaction, torrefaction, melting, fusion, liquefaction, burning, ambustion, combustion, incension, accension, concremation, cremation, scorification, cautery, cauterization, ustulation, calcination, cracking, refining, incineration, cineration, carbonization, cupellation, ignition, inflammation, adustion, flagration, deflagration, conflagration, empyrosis, incendiarism, arson, auto dafe, boiling, coction, ebullition, estuation, elixation, decoction, ebullioscope, geyser, distillation (vaporization), furnace, blanket, flannel, fur, wadding, clothing, still, refinery, fractionating column, fractionating tower, cracking tower, match, incendiary, petroleuse, cauterizer, caustic, lunar caustic, alkali, apozem, moxa, acid, aqua fortis, aqua regia, catheretic, nitric acid, nitrochloro-hydric acid, nitromuriatic acid, radioactivity, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta rays, X-rays, radiation, cosmic radiation, background radiation, radioactive isotopes, tritium, uranium, plutonium, radon, radium, sunstroke, coup de soleil, insolation, pottery, ceramics, crockery, porcelain, china, earthenware, stoneware, pot, mug, terra cotta, brick, clinker, cinder, ash, scoriae, embers, soot, slag, coke, carbon, charcoal, wood alcohol, turpentine, tea tree oil, gasoline, kerosene, naptha, fuel oil (fuel), wax, paraffin, residue, tar, inflammability, combustibility, diathermancy, transcalency, conduction, convection, radiation, radiant heat, heat conductivity, conductivity, thermal expansion, coefficient of expansion, heated, molten, sodden, r_echauff_e, heating, adust, inflammable, combustible, diathermal, diathermanous, burnt, volcanic, radioactive.

Sourness

N sourness, acid, acidity, low pH, acetous fermentation, lactic fermentation, vinegar, verjuice, crab, alum, acetic acid, lactic acid, sour, acid, acidulous, acidulated, tart, crabbed, acetous, acetose, acerb, acetic, sour as vinegar, sourish, acescent, subacid, styptic, hard, rough, sour as a lemon, (4) Odor, sourness, acid, acidity, low pH, acetous fermentation, lactic fermentation, vinegar, verjuice, crab, alum, acetic acid, lactic acid, sour, acid, acidulous, acidulated, tart, crabbed, acetous, acetose, acerb, acetic, sour as vinegar, sourish, acescent, subacid, styptic, hard, rough, sour as a lemon, (4) Odor.

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