caproic acid

[ kuh-proh-ik ]

noun

1. an oily, colorless or yellow liquid, C 6 H 12 O 2 , 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.

caproic acid

/ kəˈprəʊɪk /

noun

1. another name for hexanoic acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of caproic acid¹

First recorded in 1830–40; alteration of capric acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of caproic acid¹

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