from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Hydrofluoric \Hy`dro*flu*or"ic\, a. [Hydro-, 2 + fluoric.]
(Chem.)
Pertaining to, or containing, hydrogen and fluorine;
fluohydric; as, hydrofluoric acid.
[1913 Webster]
{Hydrofluoric acid} (Chem.), a colorless, mobile, volatile
liquid, {HF}, very corrosive in its action, and having a
strong, pungent, suffocating odor. It is produced by the
action of sulphuric acid on fluorite, and is usually
collected as a solution in water. It attacks all
silicates, as glass or porcelain, is the agent employed in
etching glass, and is preserved only in vessels of
platinum, lead, caoutchouc, or gutta-percha.
[1913 Webster]