decanoic acid
- noun
- /dɪˈkeɪnoʊɪk ˈæsɪd/
- Specialized
:
ácido decanoico
- The distinctive odor of goats is partly due to the presence of decanoic acid in their fat.
Examples
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Decanoic acid is sometimes called capric acid in scientific literature.
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The decanoic acid in goat milk contributes to its distinct flavor.
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Researchers studied the effects of decanoic acid on metabolic pathways in animals.
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Some people find the smell of decanoic acid unpleasant.
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The distinctive odor of goats is partly due to the presence of decanoic acid in their fat.
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Some people find the smell of decanoic acid unpleasant.
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Researchers studied the effects of decanoic acid on metabolic pathways in animals.
Synonyms
A chemical found in animal fats and milk that gives a goat-like smell
How Smelly
Surface Forms
Morphology
decanoic + acid
The compound is a technical chemical name: 'acid' is transparent but 'decanoic' is a specialized morphological form (from decane + -oic) not listed here and unknown to a B1 learner. Knowing only the common word 'acid' would not allow a learner to infer that this is a specific ten‑carbon saturated fatty acid with a characteristic odour, so the overall meaning is not accessible without specialist knowledge.
Etymology
Decanoic acid and its other name capric acid come from a Latin word for 'goat' because this acid in animal fat has a strong, goat-like smell. The part deca- means 'ten' because the molecule has ten carbon atoms, so the name tells you both its smell and its size.