Phrase guide

formic acid

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

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Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The simplest carboxylic acid, HCOOH, a colourless, corrosive liquid with a sharp odour systematically known as methanoic acid; it is present in the stings of ants, bees and nettles, and is prepared industrially by the oxidation of methanol or formaldehyde; it has some industrial uses, and its esters, the formates are used in perfumes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a colorless pungent fuming vesicatory liquid acid HCOOH found naturally in ants and many plants or made catalytically from carbon monoxide and steam; used in finishing textiles and paper and in the manufacture of insecticides and fumigants

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: acid

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: حمض الفورميك — methanoic acid
  • Chinese Cantonese: 甲酸 (gaap3 syun1) — methanoic acid
  • Chinese Cantonese: 蟻酸 /蚁酸 (ngai5 syun1) — methanoic acid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 甲酸 (jiǎsuān) — methanoic acid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 蟻酸 /蚁酸 (yǐsuān) — methanoic acid
  • Czech: kyselina mravenčí — methanoic acid
  • Danish: methansyre — methanoic acid
  • Danish: myresyre — methanoic acid
  • Dutch: mierenzuur — methanoic acid
  • Dutch: methaanzuur — methanoic acid
  • Faroese: meyrusýra — methanoic acid
  • Finnish: muurahaishappo — methanoic acid
  • Finnish: metaanihappo — methanoic acid
  • French: acide formique — methanoic acid
  • Georgian: ჭიანჭველამჟავა (č̣ianč̣velamžava) — methanoic acid
  • German: Ameisensäure — methanoic acid
  • Greek: μυρμηκικό οξύ (myrmikikó oxý) — methanoic acid
  • Gujarati: પિપીલિકામ્લ (pipīlikāmla) — methanoic acid
  • Hungarian: hangyasav — methanoic acid
  • Icelandic: maurasýra — methanoic acid
  • Irish: aigéad formach — methanoic acid
  • Japanese: 蟻酸 (gisan) — methanoic acid
  • Latvian: skudrskābe — methanoic acid
  • Macedonian: мравја киселина (mravja kiselina) — methanoic acid
  • Mongolian: шоргоолжны хүчил (šorgoolžny xüčil) — methanoic acid
  • Mongolian: шургуулжны хүчил (šurguulžny xüčil) — methanoic acid
  • Mongolian: ᠰᠢᠷᠭᠣᠯᠵᠢᠨ ᠦ ᠬᠦᠴᠢᠯ (sirɣolǰin-ü küčil) — methanoic acid
  • Norwegian: maursyre — methanoic acid
  • Persian: فرمیک اسید (formik asid) — methanoic acid
  • Persian: جوهر مورچه (jowhar-e murče) — methanoic acid
  • Plautdietsch: Eemskjesuastoff — methanoic acid
  • Polish: kwas mrówkowy — methanoic acid
  • Portuguese: ácido fórmico — methanoic acid
  • Romanian: acid formic — methanoic acid
  • Russian: муравьи́ная кислота́ (muravʹínaja kislotá) — methanoic acid
  • Serbo-Croatian: mravlja kiselina — methanoic acid
  • Spanish: ácido fórmico — methanoic acid
  • Swedish: myrsyra — methanoic acid
  • Thai: กรดฟอร์มิก — methanoic acid
  • Thai: กรดมด — methanoic acid
  • Turkish: formik asit — methanoic acid
  • Turkish: karınca asidi — methanoic acid
  • Welsh: asid fformig — methanoic acid
  • Welsh: asid methanöig — methanoic acid