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chlorogenic acid

[klawr-uh-jen-ik, klohr-, klawr-, klohr-]

noun Biochemistry.

a colorless crystalline acid, C16H18O9, that is important in plant metabolism and is purportedly responsible for the browning or blackening of cut apples, potatoes, and other fruits and vegetables.

Origin of chlorogenic acid

1885–90; chloro-1 + -genic; so named because in an ammonia solution it turns green when exposed to air
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019