Definition

1. Noun:
   • A strong corrosive acid: "Aqua fortis" is a historical and chemical term for a highly corrosive, colorless to pale yellow liquid acid.
   • Nitric acid: Specifically, "aqua fortis" is the traditional name for concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃).

Usage

• Noun:
  • "Aqua fortis" is primarily used in historical, alchemical, or specialized industrial contexts to refer to nitric acid.
  • It describes a substance known for its ability to dissolve metals and its use in various chemical processes.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The alchemist carefully handled the vial of aqua fortis.
  • Aqua fortis is essential in the etching of metals and the production of certain explosives.

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Literary Context: The term "aqua fortis" (Latin for "strong water") is often found in texts describing early chemistry, alchemy, or historical industrial processes.
  • The manuscript detailed the use of aqua fortis in separating gold from silver.

Variants and Related Words

• Nitric acid (n): The modern chemical name for "aqua fortis".
  • Nitric acid has largely replaced the term aqua fortis in contemporary science.
• Aqua regia (n): A related, even more potent mixture of acids capable of dissolving gold.
  • While aqua fortis dissolves silver, aqua regia is needed to dissolve gold.

Synonyms

• Nitric acid: The direct modern synonym.
• Strong acid: A general descriptive term, though less specific.

Notes on Meaning

• The term "aqua fortis" is archaic in modern scientific discourse but retains use in historical discussion and specific technical fields referencing traditional methods. Its core meaning is unequivocally "concentrated nitric acid".

Noun

1. acid used especially in the production of fertilizers and explosives and rocket fuels