Fatty acid Meaning, Definition & Usage
-
noun any of a class of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids that form part of a lipid molecule and can be derived from fat by hydrolysis; fatty acids are simple molecules built around a series of carbon atoms linked together in a chain of 12 to 22 carbon atoms
WordNet
Definitions
(Chem.) , any one of the paraffin series of monocarbonic acids, as formic acid, acetic, etc.; so called because the higher members, as stearic and palmitic acids, occur in the natural fats, and are themselves fatlike substances.
