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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.

See Examples For:

All the same, the fatty acid profile of tallow does overlap with some lipids found in human skin and sebum, including palmitic, stearic and oleic acids.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Each participant followed two separate six-week diets that included muffins and spreads made with either palmitic acid-rich fats or stearic acid-rich fats.

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

The stearine or stearic acid industry originated in the discovery made by M.E.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various

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