nitric acid

noun

ni·​tric acid ˈnī-trik- 

: a corrosive liquid inorganic acid HNO₃ used especially as an oxidizing agent, in nitrations, and in making organic compounds (such as fertilizers, explosives, and dyes)

Examples of nitric acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It was determined that a nitric acid spill caused the incident, police said. —Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 21 June 2024

Arkansas 367 from McRae to the Bowman Road intersection in White County has reopened following a hazmat incident involving the Union Pacific Railroad and a train car hauling nitric acid that caught fire. —Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 17 June 2024

Removing them typically involves toxic reagents such as hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, or sodium hydroxide. —IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2024

Current techniques dissolve the silver in nitric acid and use other acids to handle a silicon nitride layer in the panel, as well as some of the minor materials, like solder. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

French nitrique, from nitre niter, from Middle French

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

nitric acid

noun

ˈnī-trik-

: a strong liquid nitrogen-containing acid used in making fertilizers, explosives, and dyes

Medical Definition

nitric acid

noun

: a corrosive liquid inorganic acid HNO₃ used especially as an oxidizing agent, in nitrations, and in making organic compounds