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Glite Dictionary
ethanoic acid

ethanoic acid

4.8
A colorless acid with a strong smell found in vinegar and used to make plastics
  • noun
  • /ˌɛθəˈnoʊɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido acético
  • Vinegar contains ethanoic acid as its main active ingredient.

Examples

  • Plastic production often involves the use of ethanoic acid as a precursor.

  • The laboratory ordered more ethanoic acid for their organic chemistry experiments.

  • The laboratory uses ethanoic acid for various experiments.

  • Many households use ethanoic acid in their vinegar.

  • Vinegar contains ethanoic acid as its main active ingredient.

  • The laboratory ordered more ethanoic acid for their organic chemistry experiments.

  • Plastic production often involves the use of ethanoic acid as a precursor.

Synonyms

acetic acid
vsethanoic acid
  • Specialized
4.2

A clear sharp liquid that makes vinegar taste sour and is used to make plastics and medicines

is the formal scientific name for the same chemical

Surface Forms

ethanoic acid singular
ethanoic acids plural

Morphology

ethanoic + acid

The element 'acid' is transparent (a substance that reacts with bases), but 'ethanoic' is a specialized chemical adjective formed from 'ethane' + the '-oic' suffix and is not part of everyday vocabulary. The compound is therefore partially compositional — learners with explicit knowledge of chemical nomenclature can infer it denotes the acid derived from ethane (i.e., acetic acid), but an average B1 learner who only knows basic word meanings would likely find the term non-obvious.

Etymology

Ethanoic acid gets its name from the simple molecule ethane (two carbon atoms) plus the acid ending -oic acid, so it literally means 'the acid related to ethane'. This clear, sharp liquid is the main part of vinegar, which is why the name points to the common acid used in kitchens, labs, and industry.