vitriol

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. See sulfuric acid.
2. n. Any of various sulfates of metals, such as ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, or copper sulfate.
3. n. Bitterly abusive feeling or expression.
4. v. To expose or subject to vitriol.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To cleanse from grease, dirt, or loose oxid scale on a metal surface by dipping in a bath of dilute sulphuric acid; pickle.
2. n. Sulphuric acid, or one of many of its compounds, which in certain states have a glassy appearance.
3. n. Ferric sulphate: same as colcothar. Also called vitriol of Mars.

Wiktionary

1. n. dated sulphuric acid and various metal sulphates
2. n. by extension bitterly abusive language
3. v. to subject someone to bitter verbal abuse

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. colloq., colloq. A sulphate of any one of certain metals, as copper, iron, zinc, cobalt. So called on account of the glassy appearance or luster.
2. n. colloq. Sulphuric acid; -- called also oil of vitriol. So called because first made by the distillation of green vitriol. See Sulphuric acid, under sulphuric.
3. v. (Metal.) To dip in dilute sulphuric acid; to pickle.
4. v. colloq. To vitriolize.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will
2. n. (H2SO4) a highly corrosive acid made from sulfur dioxide; widely used in the chemical industry
3. v. expose to the effects of vitriol or injure with vitriol
4. v. subject to bitter verbal abuse