litmus
noun
lit·mus
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Definition of litmus
1
: a coloring matter from lichens that turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions and is used as an acid-base indicator
Examples of litmus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cristobal gets a chance on national television on Aug. 31 against Auburn to flex some of that muscle in a litmus-test game that is either going to catapult Cristobal’s profile into another stratosphere or bring him temporarily back to Earth. 4. — John Canzano, oregonlive.com, "John Canzano’s Top 25 most influential people in Oregon sports for 2019," 17 Aug. 2019 Newsom is running to the left of the popular Brown, who is nearly 30 years older, on Democratic litmus-test issues such as single-payer health care for state residents. — Scott Wilson, Washington Post, "Think California politics is on the far-left fringe? Just wait for the next elections.," 3 Feb. 2018 The Arizona senator supported Gang of Eight–style immigration reform, when immigration restriction is becoming a litmus-test issue in the party. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "Trump Is the GOP Mainstream," 27 Oct. 2017 Let’s use the following multiple-choice criteria as a good litmus. — Jeff Sentell, ajc, "What really matters for the nation’s No. 2 OG Trey Hill about choosing a school," 11 Oct. 2017 Cincinnati is more of a litmus for NFL attendance than most places. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Are Bengals the canary in NFL coal mine?," 3 Oct. 2017 An early litmus test for UO's potential, and whether that confidence will be realized, will be its Sept. 9 matchup against Nebraska at home. — Andrew Greif, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Ducks enter Willie Taggart's first season with fresh confidence," 26 Aug. 2017 Navigation functions were simple and quick, a kind of litmus test for the entire infotainment system. — Emma Jayne Williams, star-telegram, "New GMC Acadia Denali version gives this SUV the royal treatment," 25 Aug. 2017 This week’s solar eclipse in the U.S. was a litmus test for grid operators. — Tim Loh, Bloomberg.com, "Trump's Coal Push May Be the Disaster Insurance the Grid Doesn’t Need," 24 Aug. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'litmus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for litmus
litmus
noun
lit·mus
| \ ˈlit-məs
\
\
Medical Definition of litmus
: a coloring matter from lichens that turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions and is used as an acid-base indicator
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