maleic acid

American  

[muh-lee-ik] / məˈli ɪk /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble solid, C 4 H 4 O 4 , isomeric with fumaric acid, having an astringent, repulsive taste and faint acidulous odor: used in the manufacture of synthetic resins, the dyeing and finishing of textiles, and as a preservative for fats and oils.

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maleic acid British  

/ məˈleɪɪk /

noun

1. Systematic name: cis-butanedioic acid.  a colourless soluble crystalline substance used to synthesize other compounds. Formula: HOOCCH:CHCOOH

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maleic acid Scientific  

/ mə-lē′ĭk /

1. A colorless crystalline acid used in textile processing and as an oil and fat preservative. Maleic acid is a geometric isomer of fumaric acid, having two carboxyl groups (COOH) on the same side of an ethylene chain. Chemical formula: C ₄ H ₄ O ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of maleic acid

1870–75; < French maléique, alteration of malique malic

Example Sentences

Dr. Charles Raymond Downs, Manhattan consulting chemist who presented the wine-aging idea, passes a mixture of air and benzene over a catalyst to get maleic acid.

From Time Magazine Archive

Another product made from maleic acid is Succinic Acid, which occurs naturally in amber.

From Time Magazine Archive