Styphnic

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Styphnic \Styph"nic\, a. [Gr. (spurious) sty`fein to contract.]
     (Chem.)
     Pertaining to, or designating, a yellow crystalline
     astringent acid, {(NO2)3.C6H.(OH)2}, obtained by the action
     of nitric acid on resorcin. Styphnic acid resembles picric
     acid, but is not bitter. It acts like a strong dibasic acid,


     having a series of well defined salts.
     [1913 Webster]