ascorbic acid

[ uh-skawr-bik as-id ]

nounBiochemistry.
  1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble vitamin, C6H8O6, occurring naturally in citrus fruits, green vegetables, etc., and often produced synthetically, essential for normal metabolism: used in the prevention and treatment of scurvy, and in wound-healing and tissue repair.

Origin of ascorbic acid

1
First recorded in 1930–35; a-6 + scorb(ut)ic
  • Also called an·ti·scor·bu·tic ac·id [an-tee-skawr-byoo-tik as-id, an-tahy‐] /ˈæn ti skɔrˈbyu tɪk ˈæs ɪd, ˈæn taɪ‐/ vitamin C.

Words Nearby ascorbic acid

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How to use ascorbic acid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ascorbic acid

ascorbic acid

/ (əˈskɔːbɪk) /


noun
  1. a white crystalline vitamin present in plants, esp citrus fruits, tomatoes, and green vegetables. A deficiency in the diet of man leads to scurvy. Formula: C 6 H 8 O 6: Also called: vitamin C

Origin of ascorbic acid

1
C20 ascorbic from a- 1 + scorb (ut) ic

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

Scientific definitions for ascorbic acid

ascorbic acid

[ ə-skôrbĭk ]


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for ascorbic acid

ascorbic acid

[ (uh-skawr-bik) ]


A form of vitamin C.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.