citral

[ si-truh l ]

/ ˈsɪ trəl /

noun Chemistry.

a pale yellow, water-insoluble, liquid aldehyde, C10H16O, having a strong lemonlike odor, consisting in natural form of two isomers (citral a or geranial and citral b or neral), usually obtained from the oils of lemon and orange or synthetically: used chiefly in perfumery, flavoring, and the synthesis of vitamin A.

Nearby words

Origin of citral

First recorded in 1890–95; citr(us) + -al¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for citral

It is prepared by treating a mixture of citral and acetone with barium hydrate, and distilling in vacuo.
The Handbook of Soap Manufacture|W. H. Simmons
It may be detected by the same test which was used for citral.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants|Edwin M. Bruce
The important ingredients of lemon extract are lemon oil and citral, its aromatic constituent.
Detection of the Common Food Adulterants|Edwin M. Bruce
It is asserted that the mules of serins, citral finches, and goldfinches, are fruitful.
The Natural History of Cage Birds|J. M. Bechstein

Geraniol by oxidation goes into the aldehyde, citral, which occurs in lemons, oranges and verbena flowers.
Creative Chemistry|Edwin E. Slosson

British Dictionary definitions for citral

citral

/ (ˈsɪtrəl) /

noun

a yellow volatile liquid with a lemon-like odour, found in oils of lemon grass, orange, and lemon and used in perfumery: a terpene aldehyde consisting of the cis- isomer (citral-a or geranial) and the trans- isomer (citral-b or neral). Formula: (CH 3) 2 C:CH(CH 2) 2 C(CH 3):CHCHO

Word Origin for citral

C19: from citr (us) + -al ³

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