Dictionary
ni'tric ac'id
Chem.
a colorless or yellowish, fuming, suffocating, caustic, corrosive, water-soluble liquid, HNO
3, having powerful oxidizing properties, usually obtained from ammonia or from Chile saltpeter: used chiefly in the manufacture of explosives and fertilizers and in organic synthesis. Also called
aqua fortis. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.