abietic acid

[ab-ee-et-ik, ab-]

noun Chemistry.

a yellow, crystalline, water-insoluble acid, C20H30O2, obtained from the resin of a species of pine: used chiefly in driers, varnishes, and soaps.

Origin of abietic acid

1860–65; < Latin abiet- (stem of abiēs) fir + -ic

Also called sylvic acid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for abietic acid

abietic acid

noun

a yellowish powder occurring naturally as a constituent of rosin and used in lacquers, varnishes, and soap. Formula: C 19 H 29 COOH; melting pt: 173°C

Word Origin for abietic acid

C19: abietic, from Latin abiēt-, from abiēs silver fir (the acid originally being extracted from the resin)

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