hydrochloric acid
Americannoun
noun
-
A solution of hydrogen chloride in water, forming a very strong, poisonous, corrosive acid with a sharp odor. It is used in food processing, metal cleaning, and dyeing. Small amounts of hydrochloric acid are also secreted by the stomachs of animals for digestion.
-
Also called muriatic acid
Etymology
Origin of hydrochloric acid
First recorded in 1825–35
Compare meaning
How does hydrochloric-acid compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This enzyme controls the final step in the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
From Science Daily
The authors of the Communications Earth and Environment paper cite, for example, research showing hydrochloric acid emitted from solid rocket launches killing fish after it leached into nearby water.
From Salon
While this phenomenon has been studied in light molecules such as ammonia, oxygen, hydrochloric acid or simple carbon compounds, it has hardly been studied in molecules with heavier atoms.
From Science Daily
Certain occupational exposures, such as to sulfuric or hydrochloric acid, may also put people at higher risk of enamel erosion.
From Seattle Times
For example, they prompt cells in your stomach lining -- but not in your eyes -- to produce hydrochloric acid, even though all the cells in your body contain the same DNA.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
