lit·mus (l t m s)n. A water-soluble blue powder derived from certain lichens that changes to red with increasing acidity and to blue with increasing basicity. [Middle English litemose (of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse litmosi, dyer's herbs litr, color, dye + mosi, bog, moss) and Middle English lykemose (from Middle Dutch lijkmoes, variant of l  cmoes : lken, to drip + moes, moss).] |
litmus
Noun
a soluble powder obtained from lichens, which is turned red by acids and blue by alkalis. Paper treated with it ([litmus paper]) is used as an indicator in chemistry [perhaps Scandinavian]
| litmus (ltms) A colored powder, obtained from certain lichens, that changes to red in an acid solution and to blue in an alkaline solution. Litmus is a mixture of various closely related heterocyclic organic compounds.  Litmus is typically added to paper to make litmus paper, which can be used to determine whether a solution is basic or acidic by dipping a strip of the paper into the solution and seeing how the paper changes color. |
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| Noun | 1. |  litmus - a coloring material (obtained from lichens) that turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions; used as a very rough acid-base indicatoracid-base indicator - an indicator that changes color on going from acidic to basic solutions litmus paper - unsized paper treated with litmus for use as an acid-base indicator |
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