Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Vitriolic \Vit`ri*ol"ic\, a. [Cf. F. vitriolique.] (Chem.)
   Of or pertaining to vitriol; derived from, or resembling,
   vitriol; vitriolous; as, a vitriolic taste. Cf. {Vitriol}.

   {Vitriolic acid} (Old Chem.),
   (a) sulphuric acid. See {Vitriol}
   (b) . [Colloq.]

Source : WordNet®

vitriolic
     adj 1: harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing
            otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid
            comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies";
            "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes
            about political assassination, talk-show hosts and
            medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation" [syn: {acerb},
             {acerbic}, {acid}, {acrid}, {bitter}, {blistering}, {caustic},
             {sulfurous}, {sulphurous}, {venomous}, {virulent}]
     2: of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of
        destroying or eating away by chemical action [syn: {caustic},
         {corrosive}, {erosive}]