oil of vitriol

English

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.[1]

Noun

oil of vitriol (uncountable)

  1. (chemistry, dated) Sulphuric acid.

Synonyms

Translations

References
  1. W:Sulfuric acid
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