fatty acid

noun, Biochemistry
1.
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 acid n.
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.