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

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pyroligneous

pyroligneous acid

pyrolignic

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“Pyroligneous acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyroligneous%20acid. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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pyroligneous acid

noun

Word History

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