glycolic acid
or glycollic acid
a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble powder, C2H4O3, that is a major substrate for photorespiration in plants: used chiefly for textile printing and dyeing and in pesticides.
Origin of glycolic acid
1- Also called hydroxyacetic acid.
Words Nearby glycolic acid
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for glycolic acid
a colourless crystalline soluble hygroscopic compound found in sugar cane and sugar beet: used in tanning and in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, adhesives, and plasticizers; hydroxyacetic acid. Formula: CH 2 (OH)COOH
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
Scientific definitions for glycolic acid
[ glī-kŏl′ĭk ]
A colorless crystalline compound that occurs naturally in sugar beets and sugarcane. It is used in leather dyeing and tanning, and in making pharmaceuticals, pesticides, adhesives, and plasticizers. Chemical formula: C2H4O3.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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