English Explanatory Dictionary

oil of vitriol

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Sulfuric acid.

Word forms

oil of vitriol

Etymology

So called from its oily consistency and from its forming the "vitriols" or sulfates. This term was coined by the 8th-century alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, the chemical's probable discoverer.

Synonyms

vitriol
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