itaconic acid

[ it-uh-kon-ik ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless crystalline compound, C 5 H 6 O 4 , obtained by fermentation, soluble in water, alcohol, and acetone: used as an intermediate in the formation of fibers, resins, etc.

itaconic acid

/ ˌɪtəˈkɒnɪk /

noun

1. a white colourless crystalline carboxylic acid obtained by the fermentation of carbohydrates and used in the manufacture of synthetic resins. Formula: CH 2 :C(COOH)CH 2 COOH

Word History and Origins

Origin of itaconic acid¹

1860–65; rearrangement of the letters of aconitic acid, originally extracted from aconite