oxalic acid

noun

A colourless, crystalline dicarboxylic acid, (COOH)₂, found in rhubarb, spinach and other plants, often as crystals of the calcium salt.

Similar
acid of sugarethanedioic acid
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Meanings

nounoxalic acid (uncountable)
  1. uncountablechemistryA colourless, crystalline dicarboxylic acid, (COOH)₂, found in rhubarb, spinach and other plants, often as crystals of the calcium salt.

    If not sufficiently purified, a little hydrochloric or oxalic acid, or caustic potash may be put in the water, according as the stains are from grease or from ink.

    1880, William Blades, The Enemies of Books, page 92

    Synonyms: acid of sugar, ethanedioic acid

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA colourless, crystalline dicarboxylic acid, (COOH)₂, found in rhubarb, spinach and other plants, often as crystals of the calcium salt.

Similar
acid of sugarethanedioic acid

More synonyms by meaning

nouna toxic colorless crystalline organic acid found in oxalis and other plants; used as a bleach and rust remover and in chemical analysis

Similar
ethanedioic acid
Broader
aciddicarboxylic acid
Also see
ethanedioic acid

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian оксалова киселина
  • оксалова киселина (oksalova kiselina)the dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Catalan àcid oxàlic
  • àcid oxàlicthe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Chinese Mandarin 草酸
  • 草酸 (cǎosuān)the dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Czech kyselina šťavelová
  • kyselina šťavelováthe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Danish oxalsyre
  • oxalsyrethe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Dutch oxaalzuur
  • oxaalzuurthe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Esperanto okzalacido
  • okzalacidothe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Finnish oksaalihappo
  • oksaalihappothe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
French acide oxalique
  • acide oxaliquethe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
German Oxalsäure
  • Oxalsäurethe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Italian acido ossalico
  • acido ossalicothe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Japanese シュウ酸
  • シュウ酸the dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Norwegian Bokmål oksalsyre
  • oksalsyrethe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Polish kwas szczawiowy
  • kwas szczawiowythe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Portuguese ácido oxálico
  • ácido oxálicothe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Romanian acid oxalic
  • acid oxalicthe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Russian щаве́левая кислота́
  • щаве́левая кислота́ (ščavélevaja kislotá)the dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Spanish ácido oxálico
  • ácido oxálicothe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Swedish oxalsyra
  • oxalsyrathe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Turkish oksalik asit
  • oksalik asitthe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Ukrainian щавле́ва кислота́
  • щавле́ва кислота́ (ščavléva kyslotá)the dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Welsh asid ocsalig
  • asid ocsaligthe dicarboxylic acid (ethandioic acid)
Cite this entry
APA

oxalic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oxalic%20acid

MLA

“oxalic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oxalic%20acid. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oxalic acid,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oxalic%20acid.

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