butyric acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. either of two isomeric acids having the formula C 4 H 8 O 2 , especially a rancid liquid occurring chiefly in spoiled butter, whose esters are used as flavorings.

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butyric acid British  

/ bjuːˈtɪrɪk /

noun

1. 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

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butyric acid Scientific  

/ byo̅o̅-tîr′ĭk /

1. 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: C ₄ H ₈ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of butyric acid

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

butyric acid

Females produce seeds with an outer fleshy layer that contains butyric acid, the signature scent of human vomit.

From National Geographic ● Oct. 4, 2023

The esters formed from butyric acid are pleasant-smelling compounds found in fruits and used in perfumes.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Talk then turned to the possible use of butyric acid, which can damage skin and eyes.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 24, 2017

An eyeless tick’s includes not just the smell of butyric acid, which wafts from mammalian skin, but the years-long wait for a moment of succulent opportunity.

From The New Yorker ● May 23, 2016

Bensch's process, above described, for the production of butyric acid, affords a remarkable exemplification of the extraordinary transformations that organic bodies undergo in contact with ferment, or by catalytic action.

From The Art of Perfumery And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse