formic acid

noun

The simplest carboxylic acid, HCOOH, a colourless, corrosive liquid with a sharp odour systematically known as methanoic acid; it is present in the stings of ants, bees and nettles, and is prepared industrially by the oxidation of methanol or formaldehyde; it has some industrial uses, and its esters, the formates are used in perfumes.

Similar
E236methanoic acid
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Meanings

nounformic acid (uncountable)
  1. uncountablechemistryThe simplest carboxylic acid, HCOOH, a colourless, corrosive liquid with a sharp odour systematically known as methanoic acid; it is present in the stings of ants, bees and nettles, and is prepared industrially by the oxidation of methanol or formaldehyde; it has some industrial uses, and its esters, the formates are used in perfumes.

    The ant has made himself illustrious / Through constant industry industrious. / So what? / Would you be calm and placid / If you were full of formic acid?

    1941, Ogden Nash, “The Ant”, in The Face is Familiar: The Selected Verse of Ogden Nash, reprint edition, Garden City, N.Y.: Garden City Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 224

    Synonyms: E236, methanoic acid

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe simplest carboxylic acid, HCOOH, a colourless, corrosive liquid with a sharp odour systematically known as methanoic acid; it is present in the stings of ants, bees and nettles, and is prepared industrially by the oxidation of methanol or formaldehyde; it has some industrial uses, and its esters, the formates are used in perfumes.

Similar
E236methanoic acid
Also see
methanoic acid

Translations

Arabic حمض الفورميك
  • حمض الفورميكmethanoic acid
Chinese Cantonese 甲酸, 蟻酸 /蚁酸
  • 甲酸 (gaap³ syun¹)methanoic acid
  • 蟻酸 /蚁酸 (ngai⁵ syun¹)methanoic acid
Chinese Mandarin 甲酸, 蟻酸 /蚁酸
  • 甲酸 (jiǎsuān)methanoic acid
  • 蟻酸 /蚁酸 (yǐsuān)methanoic acid
Czech kyselina mravenčí
  • kyselina mravenčímethanoic acid
Danish methansyre, myresyre
  • methansyremethanoic acid
  • myresyremethanoic acid
Dutch mierenzuur, methaanzuur
  • mierenzuurmethanoic acid
  • methaanzuurmethanoic acid
Finnish muurahaishappo, metaanihappo
  • muurahaishappomethanoic acid
  • metaanihappomethanoic acid
French acide formique
  • acide formiquemethanoic acid
German Ameisensäure
  • Ameisensäuremethanoic acid
Greek μυρμηκικό οξύ
  • μυρμηκικό οξύ (myrmikikó oxý)methanoic acid
Hungarian hangyasav
  • hangyasavmethanoic acid
Icelandic maurasýra
  • maurasýramethanoic acid
Irish aigéad formach
  • aigéad formachmethanoic acid
Japanese 蟻酸
  • 蟻酸 (gisan)methanoic acid
Latvian skudrskābe
  • skudrskābemethanoic acid
Norwegian maursyre
  • maursyremethanoic acid
Persian فرمیک اسید, جوهر مورچه
  • فرمیک اسید (formik asid)methanoic acid
  • جوهر مورچه (jowhar-e murče)methanoic acid
Polish kwas mrówkowy
  • kwas mrówkowymethanoic acid
Portuguese ácido fórmico
  • ácido fórmicomethanoic acid
Romanian acid formic
  • acid formicmethanoic acid
Russian муравьи́ная кислота́
  • муравьи́ная кислота́ (muravʹínaja kislotá)methanoic acid
Spanish ácido fórmico
  • ácido fórmicomethanoic acid
Swedish myrsyra
  • myrsyramethanoic acid
Thai กรดฟอร์มิก, กรดมด
  • กรดฟอร์มิกmethanoic acid
  • กรดมดmethanoic acid
Turkish formik asit, karınca asidi
  • formik asitmethanoic acid
  • karınca asidimethanoic acid
Welsh asid fformig, asid methanöig
  • asid fformigmethanoic acid
  • asid methanöigmethanoic acid
Cite this entry
APA

formic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formic%20acid

MLA

“formic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formic%20acid. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “formic acid,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formic%20acid.

Source: formic acid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.