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Glite Dictionary
cerotic acid

cerotic acid

9.6
A white solid fatty acid found in natural waxes like beeswax
  • noun
  • /səˈrɒtɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido cerótico
  • Cerotic acid is commonly found in beeswax and other plant waxes.

Examples

  • The presence of cerotic acid contributes to the protective nature of natural wax coatings.

  • Researchers isolated cerotic acid from the surface of apple skins.

  • The sample contained cerotic acid.

  • Is cerotic acid found in beeswax?

  • Cerotic acid is commonly found in beeswax and other plant waxes.

  • Researchers isolated cerotic acid from the surface of apple skins.

  • The presence of cerotic acid contributes to the protective nature of natural wax coatings.

Synonyms

hexacosanoic acid
vscerotic acid
  • Specialized
9.9

A white solid acid found in natural waxes like beeswax

is the same substance but called by a different systematic name

Surface Forms

cerotic acid singular
cerotic acids plural

Morphology

cerotic + acid

The noun is compositionally built from an adjective + 'acid', so if a learner knew 'cerotic' as 'waxy' they could infer 'an acid related to waxes'. However 'cerotic' is a rare, technical term and the precise chemical sense and specificity (a particular fatty acid in waxes) requires specialist knowledge, making the meaning only partially predictable for a typical B1 learner.

Etymology

Cerotic acid comes from the Latin word cera meaning 'wax', because this acid was first found in beeswax. So the name tells you it is a fatty acid found in natural waxes.