- Oil of vitriol
- Vitriol Vit"ri*ol, n. [F. vitriol; cf. Pr. vitriol, vetriol,
Sp. & Pg. vitriolo, It. vitriuolo; fr. L. vitreolus of glass,
vitreus vitreous. See {Vitreous}.] (Chem.)
(a) A sulphate of any one of certain metals, as copper, iron,
zinc, cobalt. So called on account of the glassy
appearance or luster.
(b) Sulphuric acid; -- called also {oil of vitriol}. So
called because first made by the distillation of green
vitriol. See {Sulphuric acid}, under {Sulphuric}.
[Colloq.]
[1913 Webster]
{Blue vitriol}. See under {Blue}.
{Green vitriol}, ferrous sulphate; copperas. See under {Green}.
{Oil of vitriol}, sulphuric or vitriolic acid; -- popularly so called because it has the consistency of oil.
{Red vitriol}, a native sulphate of cobalt.
{Vitriol of Mars}, ferric sulphate, a white crystalline substance which dissolves in water, forming a red solution.
{White vitriol}, zinc sulphate, a white crystalline substance used in medicine and in dyeing. It is usually obtained by dissolving zinc in sulphuric acid, or by roasting and oxidizing certain zinc ores. Formerly called also {vitriol of zinc}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.