valeric acid


nounChemistry.
  1. any of several isomeric organic acids having the formula C5H10O2, the common one being a liquid of pungent odor obtained from valerian roots: used chiefly as an intermediate in perfumery.

Origin of valeric acid

1
First recorded in 1855–60

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

How to use valeric acid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for valeric acid

valeric acid

noun
  1. another name for pentanoic 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

Scientific definitions for valeric acid

valeric acid

[ və-lîrĭk, -lĕr- ]


  1. A colorless, liquid organic acid that occurs in four isomeric forms and has a disagreeable odor. It occurs naturally in oils from certain marine animals and plants, and is used in flavorings, perfumes, plasticizers, and pharmaceuticals. Chemical formula: C5H10O2.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.