alginic acid

[ al-jin-ik ]

nounChemistry.
  1. an insoluble, colloidal acid, (C6H8O6)n, found in the cell walls of various kelps, especially brown kelps, known chiefly in the form of its salts, and used as a thickening or stabilizing agent in foodstuffs, especially ice cream, and for sizing paper.

Origin of alginic acid

1
First recorded in 1885–90; algin + -ic

Words Nearby alginic acid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for alginic acid

alginic acid

/ (ælˈdʒɪnɪk) /


noun
  1. a white or yellowish powdery polysaccharide having marked hydrophilic properties. Extracted from kelp, it is used mainly in the food and textile industries and in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Formula: (C 6 H 8 O 6) n; molecular wt: 32 000–250 000

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012