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stearic

American  
[stee-ar-ik, steer-ik] / stiˈær ɪk, ˈstɪər ɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to suet or fat.

  2. of or derived from stearic acid.


stearic British  
/ stɪˈærɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to suet or fat

  2. of, consisting of, containing, or derived from stearic acid

"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

Etymology

Origin of stearic

First recorded in 1825–35; stear- + -ic

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.

The results indicate that both palmitic acid and stearic acid-rich interesterified fats, when consumed in normal dietary amounts, do not appear to raise short-term risk factors linked to heart disease.

From Science Daily • Oct. 28, 2025

Dryer sheets don’t magically make clothes inherently softer, they make them feel softer by coating them with a softening agent, like stearic acid.

From Slate • Apr. 17, 2023

Dark chocolate is higher in fat than milk chocolate, but much of it is a combination of the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind and stearic acid, a type of saturated fat that doesn’t raise cholesterol.

From Washington Post • Feb. 21, 2022

Palmitic and stearic acids are saturated acids that contain no double or triple bonds.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Thus if a small amount of stearic acid be added to liquid palmitic acid and the solution frozen, the melting point of this solid will be lower than that of palmitic acid.

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.

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