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Glite Dictionary
lactone

lactone

1 9.5
A ring-shaped organic chemical formed when one molecule makes an internal ester bond
  • noun
  • /ˈlæktoʊn/
  • Specialized
: lactona
  • This now becomes on this lactone, it's actually an acid.
  • terpene lactones

But you know, it's, they're called lactones, lactic acid, milk.

Examples

  • But you know, it's, they're called lactones, lactic acid, milk.

    Harvard University

  • And so they give the lactone, but the lactone rapidly ring opens inside the cell.

  • And then he did his heating to make a lactone and reduce it with sodium, which made it back into sugar again.

  • Because it contains kava-lactones that promote muscle relaxation and relieve anxiety, kava may also enhance pain management.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The researcher synthesized a novel lactone that showed potential as a flavoring agent in food products.

  • In organic chemistry, a lactone is formed when a hydroxy acid undergoes intramolecular esterification.

  • The study revealed that certain lactones possess antimicrobial properties, making them useful in natural preservative formulations.

Surface Forms

lactone singular
lactones plural

Morphology

lactone = lactic (opaque) = lact + one

The combining form 'lact-' is technical and not a standalone English word meaning 'milk' for most learners, and the chemical suffix '-one' does not yield the expected everyday meaning, so the sense is not derivable by an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The word lactone comes from the root lact-, which means 'milk', because scientists first found related acids in sour milk. The ending -one marks a type of chemical, so a lactone is a small ring made from those 'milk' acids, and that's why the name fits its chemical form.