Peracid

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A highly reactive acid that contains more oxygen atoms than the corresponding common acid, often used as an oxidizing agent in chemistry
2. An oxygen-rich acid with a stronger oxidizing power than its ordinary counterpart, used in chemical synthesis and bleaching
3. A chemical compound of the acid class holding an unusually large amount of oxygen, valued for its ability to oxidize other substances

Etymology: Peracid is a plain chemical compound name, built by adding the prefix "per-" to "acid." The prefix comes from Latin "per," meaning "through," "thoroughly" or "to the utmost," and in chemistry it marks a compound with more oxygen than the ordinary form. So a peracid is an acid carrying an extra oxygen atom, the kind of molecule that gives a stronger oxidising action than its plain counterpart. The base word has a longer ancestry. "Acid" traces back through French "acide" to Latin "acidus," meaning "sour," and before that to a Proto-Italic root connected to sharpness and tartness. The sour taste of vinegar and citrus gave the word its original sense, and chemists later applied it to the sharp-tasting, corrosive substances they studied.

Synonyms: peroxyacid