Formic acid

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

formic acid
    n 1: a colorless pungent fuming vesicatory liquid acid HCOOH
         found naturally in ants and many plants or made
         catalytically from carbon monoxide and steam; used in
         finishing textiles and paper and in the manufacture of
         insecticides and fumigants

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Formic \For"mic\, a. [L. formica an ant: cf. F. formique.]
   (Chem.)
   Pertaining to, or derived from, ants; as, formic acid; in an
   extended sense, pertaining to, or derived from, formic acid;
   as, formic ether.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Amido formic acid}, carbamic acid.

   {Formic acid}, a colorless, mobile liquid, {HCO.OH}, of a
      sharp, acid taste, occurring naturally in ants, nettles,
      pine needles, etc., and produced artifically in many ways,
      as by the oxidation of methyl alcohol, by the reduction of
      carbonic acid or the destructive distillation of oxalic
      acid. It is the first member of the fatty acids in the
      paraffin series, and is homologous with acetic acid.
      [1913 Webster]