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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.


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

"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

oleic acid Scientific  
/ ō-lēĭk /
  1. An oily liquid occurring in animal and vegetable oils and used in making soap. Chemical formula: C 18 H 34 O 2 .


Etymology

Origin of oleic acid

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Moreover, melanoma cells pretreated with oleic acid survived better in the blood after intravenous injection into mice than did untreated melanoma cells.

From Nature

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

From Washington Times

These pods also contain seeds which are rich in oleic acid which has been linked to higher levels of "good" cholesterol in the body.

From BBC

Wagyu has three times the amount of mono-unsaturated fatty acids compared to other beef breeds, meaning it’s higher in unsaturated fat and oleic acid, which is said to be responsible for the rich flavor.

From Washington Times

Many insects release oleic acid at death, and honeybee larvae release beta-ocimene to signal their need for food.

From Scientific American