Definition

1. Noun:
   • A highly corrosive, fuming yellow or red liquid mixture: "aqua regia" is a chemical mixture composed of concentrated nitric acid and concentrated hydrochloric acid, typically in a molar ratio of 1:3. It is one of the few reagents capable of dissolving noble metals such as gold and platinum.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The alchemists used aqua regia in their attempts to transmute base metals into gold.
  • To purify the platinum, the chemist dissolved the impure sample in aqua regia.
  • Aqua regia must be handled with extreme care due to its corrosive and toxic nature.

Advanced Usage

• "To dissolve in aqua regia": This phrase describes the specific chemical process of using this mixture to break down resistant metals.
  • The gold ring was dissolved in aqua regia for analysis.

Variants and Related Words

• Aqua fortis (n): An archaic term for nitric acid, a component of aqua regia.
• Noble metal (n): A metal, such as gold or platinum, that is resistant to corrosion and oxidation but can be dissolved by aqua regia.

Synonyms

• Royal water: A direct translation from Latin, often used as a synonym in historical or alchemical contexts.
• Nitrohydrochloric acid: A more technical, descriptive name for the mixture.

Notes on Meaning

The term "aqua regia" is Latin for "royal water" or "king's water," reflecting its ability to dissolve the "royal" metal, gold. Its primary and singular meaning is the specific corrosive acid mixture. It does not have phrasal verbs or idioms associated with it in common usage.

Noun

1. a yellow fuming corrosive mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid that dissolves metals (including gold)