linoleic acid


nounChemistry.
  1. an unsaturated fatty acid, C18H32O2, occurring as a glyceride in drying oils, as in linseed oil.

Origin of linoleic acid

1
First recorded in 1855–60
  • Also li·no·lic ac·id [luh-noh-lik]. /ləˈnoʊ lɪk/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use linoleic acid in a sentence

  • The stream of hydrogen blown through the hot oil converts the linoleic acid to oleic and then the oleic into stearic.

    Creative Chemistry | Edwin E. Slosson

British Dictionary definitions for linoleic acid

linoleic acid

/ (ˌlɪnəʊˈliːɪk) /


noun
  1. a colourless oily essential fatty acid found in many natural oils, such as linseed: used in the manufacture of soaps, emulsifiers, and driers. Formula: C 18 H 32 O 2

Origin of linoleic acid

1
C19: from Latin līnum flax + oleic acid; so named because it is found in linseed oil

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

Scientific definitions for linoleic acid

linoleic acid

[ lĭn′ə-lēĭk ]


  1. An unsaturated fatty acid that has two double bonds and is a nutrient essential for prostaglandin production in the human body. It is an important component of many vegetable oils, such as linseed, soybean, peanut, corn, and safflower oil, and is also found in meat and dairy products. Chemical formula: C18H32O2.

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