vitriol

Noun · Verb
US[vit-ree-uhl]/ˈvɪtriəl/3 syllables
Synonyms: oil of vitriolsulfuric acidsulphuric acidvituperationinvective

Open English WordNet

Noun (2)

  1. (H2SO4) a highly corrosive acid made from sulfur dioxide; widely used in the chemical industrySynonyms: oil of vitriolsulfuric acidsulphuric acidType of acidKinds battery acid, electrolyte acidMade of sulfur, S
  2. abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill willSynonyms: vituperationinvectiveType of abuse, insult

Verb (2)vitriolled, vitriolling

  1. expose to the effects of vitriol or injure with vitriolMore general subject
  2. subject to bitter verbal abuseMore general attack, round

Related words rail verb

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irascibleadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Vit′ri·ol noun

Origin: F. vitriol; cf. Pr. vitriol, vetriol, Sp. & Pg. vitriolo, It. vitriuolo; fr. L. vitreolus of glass, vitreus vitreous. See Vitreous.

Chemistry (a) A sulphate of any one of certain metals, as copper, iron, zinc, cobalt. So called on account of the glassy appearance or luster. (b) Sulphuric acid; — called also oil of vitriol. So called because first made by the distillation of green vitriol. See Sulphuric acid, under Sulphuric. colloquial

Blue vitriol. See under Blue. — Green vitriol, ferrous sulphate; copperas. See under Green. — Oil of vitriol, sulphuric or vitriolic acid; — popularly so called because it has the consistency of oil. — Red vitriol, a native sulphate of cobalt. — Vitriol of Mars, ferric sulphate, a white crystalline substance which dissolves in water, forming a red solution. — White vitriol, zinc sulphate, a white crystalline substance used in medicine and in dyeing. It is usually obtained by dissolving zinc in sulphuric acid, or by roasting and oxidizing certain zinc ores. Formerly called also vitriol of zinc.

Vit′ri·ol transitive verb [past tense & past participle -oled or -olled; present participle & verbal noun -oling or -olling.]

Origin: From Vitriol, noun

1. Metallurgy To dip in dilute sulphuric acid; to pickle.

2. To vitriolize. colloquial

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: 1913 supplement

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