litmus

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English litmose, lytmose, litemose, from Old Norse litmosi (moss used for dyeing), from lita (to dye, stain) +‎ mosi (moss), the former from litr (colour, dye, blee), from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlituz (appearance, blee), from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (to see). Cognate with Old English wlite (appearance, form, brightness, countenance). More at moss.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

litmus (countable and uncountable, plural litmuses)

  1. (uncountable) A dyestuff extracted from certain lichens, that changes color when exposed to pH levels greater than or less than certain critical levels.
  2. A simple test of acidity in a liquid using litmus, usually in the form of litmus paper.
  3. A simple test of any attribute; a litmus test.

Synonyms

[edit]
  • (dyestuff from lichen): lacmus

Derived terms

[edit]

Translations

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]