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Glite Dictionary
cholic acid

cholic acid

1 6.5
A substance in bile that helps break down fats in the intestine
  • noun
  • /ˈkoʊlɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido cólico
  • Doctors analyze cholic acid levels to assess liver function.

Examples

  • GRAPH: Figure 13; Dissolution promotion of massively swelling P(NBTBE-co-NBCA) (50/50) by addition of cholic acid derivatives.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Figure 13 presents a dissolution-promotion effect of some cholic acid derivatives.

    Academic text (2001)

  • A classical example is t-butyl cholate (TBC) 26, which is converted to cholic acid (ChA) upon reaction with a photochemically generated acid.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The liver produces cholic acid, which is vital for digesting fats.

  • Research shows that cholic acid plays a key role in fat absorption.

Surface Forms

cholic acid singular
cholic acids plural

Morphology

cholic + acid

The compound is directly compositional: 'cholic' means relating to bile and 'acid' denotes an acidic substance, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it is an acid found in or derived from bile involved in digestion. Although the term is technical, its meaning follows regular modifier+noun chemistry naming patterns common across languages, making it transparent to someone who knows the parts.

Etymology

Cholic acid gets its name from the ancient Greek word chole, which means 'bile'. Cholic means 'of bile' and acid shows it is an acid, and because cholic acid is a main part of bile that helps break down fats, the name points to its role in 'digestion'.