malic acid
a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble solid, C4H6O5, occurring in apples and other fruits and as an intermediate in animal metabolism.
Origin of malic acid
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use malic acid in a sentence
The citric and malic acids differ little from the preceding acids.
Elements of Chemistry, | Antoine Lavoisier
British Dictionary definitions for malic acid
/ (ˈmælɪk, ˈmeɪ-) /
a colourless crystalline compound occurring in apples and other fruits. Formula: HOOCCH 2 CH(OH)COOH
Origin of malic acid
1Collins 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 malic acid
[ măl′ĭk, mā′lĭk ]
A colorless, crystalline compound that occurs naturally in a wide variety of unripe fruits, including apples, cherries, and tomatoes, and is an intermediate product of the Krebs cycle. It is used as a flavoring and in the aging of wine. Also called malate. Chemical formula: C4H6O5.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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