[al-jin-ik] 
| an insoluble, colloidal acid, (C6H8O6)n, found in the cell walls of various kelps, esp. brown kelps, known chiefly in the form of its salts, and used as a thickening or stabilizing agent in foodstuffs, esp. ice cream, and for sizing paper. |
| al·gin·ic acid (āl-jĭn'ĭk) n. An insoluble colloidal acid in the form of a carboxylated polysaccharide that is abundant in the cell walls of brown algae. |
ɪk