undecylenic acid

[ uhn-des-uh-len-ik, uhn- ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a light-colored liquid with a fruity odor, C 11 H 21 O 2 , soluble in alcohol and ether: used in perfumes, flavors, plastics, and medicine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of undecylenic acid¹

1905–10; undec(a) - eleven (as in undecagon ) + -yl + -ene + -ic