butyric acid

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noun Chemistry.

either of two isomeric acids having the formula C4H8O2, especially a rancid liquid occurring chiefly in spoiled butter, whose esters are used as flavorings.

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Also called butanoic acid.

Origin of butyric acid

First recorded in 1820–30

Words nearby butyric acid

butyral, butyraldehyde, butyrate, butyrellite, butyric, butyric acid, butyrin, butyrophenone, butyryl, butyryl group, buxom

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use butyric acid in a sentence

I write the lyrics and work with Murv Douglas from Lords of Acid.
Porn Stars on the Year in Porn: Drone Erotica, Belle Knox, and Wild Sex|Aurora Snow|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
During the height of his disenchantment, he visited his hometown where an old friend gave him some liquid acid.
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Eggs, he says, are a good source of cysteine, an amino acid that helps the liver break down alcohol faster.
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This at-home blood test kit gives a full reading of antioxidant, fatty acid, or vitamin panels.
Nothing Says I Love You Like Data|The Daily Beast|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The recent spate of acid attacks on women is only the latest manifestation of this dangerous trend.
The Nuclear Deal That Iran’s Regime Fears Most|Djavad Khadem|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are a number of bacilli, called acid-fast bacilli, which stain in the same way as the tubercle bacillus.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The amount of the other purin bodies together is about one-tenth that of uric acid.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Uric acid is decreased before an attack of gout and increased afterward, but its etiologic relation is still uncertain.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
An increase is also noted in the uric-acid diathesis and in diseases accompanied by respiratory insufficiency.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Indol is absorbed and oxidized into indoxyl, which combines with potassium and sulphuric acid and is thus excreted.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for butyric acid

butyric acid

/ (bjuːˈtɪrɪk) /

noun

a carboxylic acid existing in two isomeric forms, one of which produces the smell in rancid butter. Its esters are used in flavouring. Formula: C 3 (CH 2) 2 COOH

Word Origin for butyric acid

C19 butyric, from Latin būtyrum butter

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 butyric acid

butyric acid

[ byōō-tîr′ĭk ]

Either of two colorless fatty acids found in butter and certain plant oils. It has an unpleasant odor and is used in emulsifying agents, disinfectants and drugs. Chemical formula: C4H8O2.