Acid
/ˈæs.ɪd/noun
A sour substance or a compound that donates protons or accepts electron pairs.
Did you know?The word entered English through French and Latin from a root meaning “sharp” or “sour,” which is why its earliest sense was literally about taste before chemistry turned it into a scientific force.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ak-
“to be sharp, pointed”
Latin
Latin
acidus
“sour, sharp-tasting”
Old French
Old French
acide
“sour, acidic”
17th Century
English
acid
“sour substance; later, a chemical with characteristic properties”
Modern English
English
acid
“a substance with pH below 7 that can donate protons”