n.
Pronunciation: ' a-s ə d
Function: adjective
Etymology: French or Latin; French acide, from Latin acidus, from ac ē re to be sour ― more at ACET-
Date: 1626
1 a : sour, sharp, or biting to the taste <an acid flavor> b : sharp, biting, or sour in manner, disposition, or nature <an acid individual> <an acid personality> c : sharply clear, discerning, or pointed <an acid wit> < acid criticism> d : piercingly intense and often jarring < acid yellow>
2 a : of, relating to, or being an acid also : having the reactions or characteristics of an acid < acid soil> <an acid solution> b of salts and esters : derived by partial exchange of replaceable hydrogen < acid sodium carbonate NaHCO 3 > c : containing or involving the use of an acid (as in manufacture) <an acid bath> d : marked by or resulting from an abnormally high concentration of acid < acid indigestion>
3 : relating to or made by a process (as in making steel) in which the furnace is lined with acidic material and an acidic slag is used
4 : rich in silica < acid rocks>
– ac · id · ly adverb
– ac · id · ness noun