stearin

American  

[stee-uh-rin, steer-in] / ˈsti ə rɪn, ˈstɪər ɪn /

Also stearine

noun

1. Chemistry. any of the three glyceryl esters of stearic acid, especially C 3 H 5 (C 1 8 H 3 5 O2 ) 3 , a soft, white, odorless solid found in many natural fats.

2. the crude commercial form of stearic acid, used chiefly in the manufacture of candles.

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stearin British  

/ ˈstɪərɪn /

noun

1. Also called: tristearin.  a colourless crystalline ester of glycerol and stearic acid, present in fats and used in soap and candles; glycerol tristearate; glycerol trioctadecanoate. Formula: (C 17 H 35 COO) 3 C 3 H 5

2. another name for stearic acid, esp a commercial grade containing other fatty acids

3. fat in its solid form

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stearin Scientific  

/ stē′ər-ĭn,stîr′ĭn /

1. A colorless, odorless, tasteless ester of glycerol and stearic acid found in most animal and vegetable fats and used in the manufacture of soaps, candles, metal polishes, and adhesives. Chemical formula: C ₅₇ H ₁₁₀ O ₆ .

2. The solid form of fat.

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Etymology

Origin of stearin

1810–20; < French stéarine < Greek stéar fat, grease + French -ine -ine ²; -in ²

Example Sentences

Cotton seeds now contribute to the manufacture of refined oils, stearin, soap, nitroglycerine, roofing paint, writing paper, nitrocellulose, smokeless powder, lacquers, artificial leather, celluloid, rayon, photographic films, sausage casings, toilet ware, furfural, etc., etc.

From Time Magazine Archive

Grease a mold or ovenproof dish with paraffin or stearin and bake for 2½ hours.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Butter fat consists principally of olein, palmitin, and stearin.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

Lard and butter are higher in olein and palmitin and are consequently semi-solid, while suet and tallow, consisting chiefly of stearin, are much harder than the other food fats.

From Dietetics for Nurses by Proudfit, Fairfax T.

The hard fats, such as stearin, palmitin and margarin, are mostly of animal origin, tallow and lard, though coconut and palm oil contain a large proportion of such saturated compounds.

From Creative Chemistry Descriptive of Recent Achievements in the Chemical Industries by Slosson, Edwin E.