Clear definition of a 'non-oxidizing acid'? From the Beryllium article in Wikipedia:


  Beryllium dissolves readily in non-oxidizing acids, such as $\ce{HCl}$ and diluted $\ce{H2SO4}$, but not in nitric acid or water as this forms the oxide.


I think it would be helpful to have a definition of 'non-oxidizing acid'. Is it an established term in chemistry? Am I right to understand that it is an acid that can only act through its $\ce{H+}$ moiety, and not by the reduction of its conjugate base part (as in the reaction between $\ce{HNO3}$ and $\ce{Cu}$)? 

There's a little obscure page titled oxidizing acid on Wikipedia.

The trouble is, until I came across this term, I imagined all acids to be oxidizing by definition. It's not very intuitive.



P.S. 

Related: Weird Wikipedia Section on Oxidizing Acids
A non-oxidising acid is an acid in which there is no stronger oxidant than $\ce{H+}$ at $\mathrm{pH}\ 0$.

Or, in a slightly different wording, a non-oxidising acid would be one that cannot dissolve any noble metal at $1~\mathrm{M}$ concentration, but should (in the absence of effects like overpotential) dissolve any non-noble metal at that concentration.

Nitric acid has the strong oxidation agent $\ce{NO3-}$ present, which will reduce to $\ce{NO}$ or $\ce{NO2}$ depending on the concentration. It is able to oxidise noble metals such as silver.

Hydrochloric acid, on the other hand, has no other oxidising agent. The chloride ion is already fully reduced. Therefore, it is not able to oxidise noble metals such as copper.

Some acids are more strongly oxidising if they are concentrated. Sulphuric acid is one. Only in higher concentrations will reduction of sulphate to $\ce{SO2}$ take place and make the acid oxidising. In lower concentrations, only $\ce{H+}$ takes part in oxidations.