litmus: Meaning and Definition of

lit•mus

Pronunciation: (lit'mus), [key]
— n.
  1. a blue coloring matter obtained from certain lichens, esp. Roccella tinctoria. In alkaline solution litmus turns blue, in acid solution, red: widely used as a chemical indicator.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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