pyroligneous acid

noun

py·​ro·​lig·​ne·​ous acid ˌpī-rō-ˈlig-nē-əs- How to pronounce pyroligneous acid (audio)
: an acid reddish-brown aqueous liquid containing chiefly acetic acid, methanol, wood oils, and tars that is obtained by destructive distillation of wood

Word History

Etymology

French pyroligneux, from pyr- + ligneux woody, from Latin lignosus, from lignum wood — more at ligneous

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pyroligneous acid was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near pyroligneous acid

Cite this Entry

“Pyroligneous acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyroligneous%20acid. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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