Acidities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A measure of the acidity characteristic of a solution, indicating its strength or concentration of hydrogen ions
2. The quality or state of being acidic, often relating to taste, chemistry, or soil properties
3. The degree to which a substance can donate protons in solution, reflecting its potential for reactivity and interaction with other substances

Etymology: "Acidities" is the plural of "acidity," which names the quality of being acid or sour, and in its plural form it refers to particular measures or instances of that sourness. The noun comes from French "acidité," which was taken from Latin "aciditās," meaning "sourness" or "acidity." That Latin noun was built from "acidus," meaning "sour" or "acid," with the suffix "-ity" added to turn the adjective into a noun of quality. The root "acidus" is the source of the English adjective "acid" as well, so "acidity" and "acid" are close relatives sharing the same Latin stem. The suffix "-ity" follows a common pattern in English, found in many words borrowed through French, where a Latin adjective becomes a noun naming a state or property.

Synonyms: sourness, tartness

Antonyms: sweetness