fatty acid

American  

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of a class of aliphatic acids, especially palmitic, stearic, or oleic acid, consisting of a long hydrocarbon chain ending in a carboxyl group that bonds to glycerol to form a fat.

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fatty acid British  

noun

1. any of a class of aliphatic carboxylic acids, such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid, that form part of a lipid molecule

2. another name for carboxylic acid, used esp of a naturally occurring one

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fatty acid Scientific  

/ făt′ē /

1. Any of a large group of organic acids, especially those found in animal and vegetable fats and oils. Fatty acids are mainly composed of long chains of hydrocarbons ending in a carboxyl group. A fatty acid is saturated when the bonds between carbon atoms are all single bonds. It is unsaturated when any of these bonds is a double bond.

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Etymology

Origin of fatty acid

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

"In postmortem cortex from neuropathologically confirmed CTE cases with a history of repetitive brain injury, the researchers found evidence of disrupted fatty acid balance and broad transcriptional changes affecting vascular and metabolic pathways," Albayram said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

They injected older mice with a specific polyunsaturated fatty acid and observed improved visual performance.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

Headquartered in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, Cabio Biotech is one of the world's largest producers of ARA, a fatty acid used primarily in baby formula and food products.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

A new study has found that the benefits of a fatty acid known as eicosapentaenoic acid vary widely from person to person.

From Science Daily • Oct. 29, 2025

Omega-6 is another fatty acid essential to humans.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan