Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A corrosive fuming solution of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun inorganic chemistry A solution of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric acid.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin, olive oil; see oil.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin oleum ("olive oil"), from Ancient Greek ἔλαιον (elaion, "olive oil").

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Examples

  • The Associated Press reports that last Saturday, October 12th, at 5 pm the plant experienced a leakage of a substance called oleum that overflowed a tank and instantly evaporated.

    AboutMyPlanet.com 2008

  • A material called oleum, similar to sulfuric acid, leaked from a tank at the Indspec Chemical Corp. plant on Saturday and evaporated into a toxic cloud, said plant manager Dave Dorko.

    Free Internet Press 2008

  • The leak involved the chemical oleum, which is similar to sulfuric acid.

    Top Stories - Google News 2008

  • A material called oleum, similar to sulfuric acid, leaked from a tank at the Indspec Chemical Corp. plant in Petrolia, said plant manager Dave Dorko.

    News4Jax.com - Local News 2008

  • A material called oleum, similar to sulfuric acid, leaked from a tank at the Indspec Chemical Corp. plant in Petrolia, plant manager Dave Dorko said.

    The Altoona Mirror 2008

  • Material called oleum, like sulfuric acid, leaked at the Indspec Chemical Corp.

    News4Jax.com - Local News 2008

  • Sulfuric acid is usually prepared as the acid precursor oleum, a byproduct of sulfur removal from fuels.

    KN | Kitsune Noir » Caught in the Oil Spill 2010

  • Si autem aliqua soror infirmatur in tantum. quod eam inungi oporteat. tunc sacerdos ... oleum sacre unccionis deferat; et una sorore crucem portante. precedentibus duabus cum cereis. ad infirmariam uadat. et totus conuenteus eum processionaliter antecedat.

    Sensual Encounters: Monastic Women and Spirituality in Medieval Germany 2008

  • The Middle East's biggest economy is still heavily reliant on its petr oleum sector, which is estimated to account for as much as 90% of export earnings, 80% of budget revenues and 45% of gross domestic product.

    Diversification Is a Life and Death Issue 2010

  • From the seventh century onward, the Byzantines had made use of oleum incendiarum—Greek fire.

    The Prize Daniel Yergin 2008

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