hircic acid
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Named by Michel Eugène Chevreul, a French chemist. First use in 1823
Noun
[edit]- (historical) A type of oily acid (a mixture rich in capric- and caproic acids) made from mutton suet, having an odor similar to that of a goat, used in the early days of the production of soap, and in soup-making.
- 1824, Walter Scott, The Edinburgh Annual Register - 1823[1]:
- Hircic acid is the odorous principle of soap, made of mutton suet, and it exists in so very small quantity....Its smell resembles that of a goat