litmus test

lit·mus test

L l

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [lit-muh s test]
- /ˈlɪt məs tɛst/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [lit-muh s test]
- /ˈlɪt məs tɛst/

Definitions of litmus test words

noun litmus test Chemistry. the use of litmus paper or solution to test the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. 1
noun litmus test a crucial and revealing test in which there is one decisive factor. 1
countable noun litmus test If you say that something is a litmus test of something, you mean that it is an effective and definite way of proving it or measuring it. 0
noun litmus test a test to establish the acidity or alkalinity of a mixture 0
noun litmus test a critical indication of future success or failure 0
noun litmus test a test using litmus paper to determine whether a solution is an acid or a base 0

See all 9 definitions of litmus test

Information block about the term

Origin of litmus test

First appearance:

before 1955

One of the 4% newest English words

First recorded in 1955-60; so called from chemical tests in which litmus or litmus paper is an indicator

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Litmus test

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Litmus test

litmus test popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 31% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 61% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

litmus test usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for litmus test

noun litmus test

acid test — The acid test of something is an important aspect or result that it might have, which allows you to decide whether it is true or successful.

Just one Synonym for litmus test