any of a class of aliphatic acids, especially palmitic, stearic, or oleic acid, consisting of a long hydrocarbon chain ending in a carboxyl group that bonds to glycerol to form a fat.
Origin
1860-65
Examples from the web for fatty acid
As a saturated fatty acid, chocolate is also hydrophobic.
Or maybe these snakes only have fatty acid hydrocarbons and no cholesterol in their plasmid membranes.
He also takes fish oil, a type of fatty acid that some studies suggest might help prevent mental decline.
These plants help cows produce milk that can make for a healthier fatty acid profile.
Use the base surfactant which is an ester of a natural fatty acid derived from plants and trees.
Chromium stimulates fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis, which are important for brain function and other body processes.
British Dictionary definitions for fatty acid
fatty acid
noun
1.
any of a class of aliphatic carboxylic acids, such as palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid, that form part of a lipid molecule
2.
another name for carboxylic acid, used esp of a naturally occurring one
fatty acid in Medicine
fatty acidn. Any of a large group of long-chain monobasic organic acids hydrolytically derived from fats.
fatty acid in Science
fatty acid
(fāt'ē) Any of a large group of organic acids, especially those found in animal and vegetable fats and oils. Fatty acids are mainly composed of long chains of hydrocarbons ending in a carboxyl group. A fatty acid is saturated when the bonds between carbon atoms are all single bonds. It is unsaturated when any of these bonds is a double bond.