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Of, pertaining to, or derived from, the citron or lemon; as, citric acid. Citric acid (Chem.), an organic acid, C3H4OH.(CO2H)3, extracted from lemons, currants, gooseberies, etc., as a white crystalline substance, having a pleasant sour taste.

Pertaining to, or designating, any one of three acids obtained by the distillation of citric acid, and called respectively citraconic, itaconic, and mesaconic acid.

- obtained by the distillation of certain acetates, or by the destructive distillation of citric acid, starch, sugar, or gum, with quicklime.

Pertaining to, derived from, or having certain characteristics of, citric and aconitic acids. Citraconic acid (Chem.), a white, crystalline, deliquescent substance, C3H4(CO2H)2, obtained by distillation of citric acid. It is a compound of the ethylene series.

A salt of citric acid.

r without the addition of water or of other volatile solvent; as, the dry distillation of citric acid. -- Fractional distillation. (Chem.) See under Fractional.

eous form, producing innumerable small bubbles; as, the effervescence of a carbonate with citric acid.

tance, inappropriately named, as it consists of an acid potassium oxalate and contains no citric acid, which is the characteristic acid of lemon; -- called also salis of sorrel. It is used in removing ink stains. See Oxalic acid, under Oxalic. [Colloq.]

Pertaining to, or designating, one of several isomeric acids obtained from citric acid.

ies of scale insects which infests orange trees; especially, the purple scale (Mytilaspis citricola), the long scale (M. Gloveri), and the red scale (Aspidiotus Aurantii).

oms capable of replacement by basic elements on radicals; -- said of certain acids; thus, citric acid is a tribasic acid.