OLEUM


Meaning of OLEUM in English

ˈōlēəm noun

( plural olea -ēə ; or oleums )

Etymology: Latin — more at oil

1. plural olea : oil — used chiefly in phrases that are the Latin names of oils

oleum thae piperitae

2. plural oleums : a heavy oily strongly corrosive liquid that consists of a solution of sulfur trioxide in anhydrous sulfuric acid, that fumes in moist air and reacts violently with water with the evolution of heat, and that is used chiefly in sulfonation and sulfation processes, in mixed acid for nitration, and in petroleum refining — called also fuming sulfuric acid

the strength of oleum is designated as percent by weight of free sulfur trioxide: thus 20 5 oleum contains 20 5 SO 3 and 80 5 H 2 SO 4 by weight — B.M.Carter

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.