pyroligneous acid

noun

py·ro·lig·ne·ous acid ˌpī-rō-ˈlig-nē-əs-

: 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

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pyroligneous acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyroligneous%20acid. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation