Dictionary
sul'fur diox'ide
Chem.
a colorless, nonflammable, water-soluble, suffocating gas, SO
2, formed when sulfur burns: used chiefly in the manufacture of chemicals such as sulfuric acid, in preserving fruits and vegetables, and in bleaching, disinfecting, and fumigating.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.