1. Word finder
  2. Word definitions
  3. litmus paper

Find the word definition

What is "litmus paper"

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
litmus paper
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ In a drawer the litmus paper mused upon which way to turn.
▪ The litmus paper turned red when immersed in the liquid.
▪ The use of litmus paper furnishes another example of such a transformation.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Litmus paper

Litmus \Lit"mus\, n. [D. lakmoes; lak lacker + moes a thick preparation of fruit, pap, prob. akin to E. meat: cf. G. lackmus. See Lac a resinous substance.] (Chem.) A dyestuff extracted from certain lichens ( Roccella tinctoria, Lecanora tartarea, etc.), as a blue amorphous mass which consists of a compound of the alkaline carbonates with certain coloring matters related to orcin and orcein.

Note: Litmus is used as a dye, and being turned red by acids and restored to its blue color by alkalies, is a common indicator or test for acidity and alkalinity.

Litmus paper (Chem.), unsized paper saturated with blue or red litmus, -- used in testing for acids or alkalies.

Wiktionary
litmus paper

n. paper containing a water-soluble mixture of different dyes extracted from certain lichens. The resulting piece of paper is used to test materials for acidity.

WordNet
litmus paper

n. unsized paper treated with litmus for use as an acid-base indicator