caproic acid

English

Etymology

From Latin caper (“goat”) because of its smell.

Noun

caproic acid (uncountable)

1. (organic chemistry) A liquid fatty acid, CH₃(CH₂)₄COOH, obtained from animal fats, and used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and flavours.

Synonyms

• hexanoic acid

Coordinate terms

• caproate, hexanoate (coordinate as a base versus an acid, but synonymous in the practical sense that the conjugate base and conjugate acid coexist in solution)

Derived terms

• aminocaproic acid

Related terms

• capric acid
• caprylic acid

Translations

liquid fatty acid

• Finnish: kapronihappo
• German: Capronsäure (de) f
• Hungarian: kapronsav
• Russian: капро́новая кислота́ (ru) f (kaprónovaja kislotá), капро́евая кислота́ f (kaprójevaja kislotá), гекса́новая кислота́ f (geksánovaja kislotá)

References

• “caproic acid”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “caproic acid”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.