Hydracids

1 definition found

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

  Acid \Ac"id\, n.
     1. A sour substance.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chem.) One of a class of compounds, generally but not
        always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in


        water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors.
        They are also characterized by the power of destroying the
        distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining
        with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own
        peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united
        with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or
        more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this
        negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen
        are sometimes called {hydracids} in distinction from the
        others which are called {oxygen acids} or {oxacids}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: In certain cases, sulphur, selenium, or tellurium may
           take the place of oxygen, and the corresponding
           compounds are called respectively {sulphur acids} or
           {sulphacids}, {selenium acids}, or {tellurium acids}.
           When the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a positive
           element or radical, a salt is formed, and hence acids
           are sometimes named as salts of hydrogen; as hydrogen
           nitrate for nitric acid, hydrogen sulphate for
           sulphuric acid, etc. In the old chemistry the name acid
           was applied to the oxides of the negative or
           nonmetallic elements, now sometimes called anhydrides.
           [1913 Webster]