definitions

caproic acid

[ kuh-proh-ik ]
/ kəˈproʊ ɪk /

noun

an oily, colorless or yellow liquid, C6H12O2, with an odor like limburger cheese, usually obtained from fatty animal tissue or coconut oil, or synthesized: used chiefly in the manufacture of flavoring agents.

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Nearby words

capriole, capriote, capris, caprivi strip, caproate, caproic acid, caprolactam, caproyl, caprylate, caprylic, caprylic acid

Origin of caproic acid

First recorded in 1830–40; alteration of capric acid
Also called hexanoic acid.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for caproic acid

caproic acid

/ (kəˈprəʊɪk) /

noun

another name for hexanoic acid

Word Origin for caproic acid

C19: caproic, from Latin caper goat, alluding to its smell
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

Medicine definitions for caproic acid

caproic acid

[ kə-prō′ĭk, kă- ]

n.

A liquid fatty acid found in animal fats and oils or synthesized and used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.