oleic acid

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, odorless, liquid, water-insoluble, unsaturated acid, C 1 8 H 3 4 O 2 , obtained from animal tallow and natural vegetable oils, in which it occurs as the glycerol ester: used chiefly in the manufacture of soap, commercial oleates, and cosmetics.

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oleic acid British  

/ əʊˈliːɪk /

noun

1. Systematic name: cis-9-octadecenoic acid.  a colourless oily liquid unsaturated acid occurring, as the glyceride, in almost all natural fats used in making soaps, ointments, cosmetics, and lubricating oils. Formula: CH 3 (CH 2 ) 7 CH:CH(CH 2 ) 7 COOH

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oleic acid Scientific  

/ ō-lē′ĭk /

1. An oily liquid occurring in animal and vegetable oils and used in making soap. Chemical formula: C ₁₈ H ₃₄ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of oleic acid

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oleic acid

According to the review, oleic acid encourages the body to store fats in forms that are metabolically less disruptive and have little effect on normal cellular function.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

Full-blooded Wagyu meat is touted by the industry to have less high oleic acid and lower saturated fat.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 20, 2020

About 40% of red palm oil is oleic acid, an unsaturated fat present in higher quantities in olive oil and believed to be part of the reason for its heart benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2015

Our most successful approach has been to treat the QDs with a short ligand that replaces the oleic acid during film formation.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 15, 2011

Theoretically it should be a simple matter to introduce two atoms of hydrogen into oleic acid or olein, and by this mere addition convert liquid oleic acid and olein into solid stearic acid and stearine.

From Soap-Making Manual A Practical Handbook on the Raw Materials, Their Manipulation, Analysis and Control in the Modern Soap Plant. by Thomssen, E. G.