citral

American  

[si-truhl] / ˈsɪ trəl /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a pale yellow, water-insoluble, liquid aldehyde, C 10 H 16 O, having a strong lemonlike odor, consisting in natural form of two isomers citral a, or geranial, and citral b, or neral, usually obtained from the oils of lemon and orange or synthetically: used chiefly in perfumery, flavoring, and the synthesis of vitamin A.

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citral British  

/ ˈsɪtrəl /

noun

1. a yellow volatile liquid with a lemon-like odour, found in oils of lemon grass, orange, and lemon and used in perfumery: a terpene aldehyde consisting of the cis- isomer ( citral-a or geranial ) and the trans- isomer ( citral-b or neral ). Formula: (CH 3 ) 2 C:CH(CH 2 ) 2 C(CH 3 ):CHCHO

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Etymology

Origin of citral

First recorded in 1890–95; citr(us) + -al ¹