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Glite Dictionary
maleic acid

maleic acid

6.7
A white solid acid found in unripe fruits and used to make plastics
  • noun
  • /məˈleɪɪk ˈæsɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ácido maleico
  • Unripe apples contain small amounts of maleic acid, which contributes to their tartness.

Examples

  • The production of certain plastics relies on maleic acid as a key ingredient.

  • Many fruits contain maleic acid in their unripe state.

  • Researchers studied the reaction of maleic acid with other chemicals in the laboratory.

  • The chemist studied maleic acid for its unique properties.

  • The production of certain plastics relies on maleic acid as a key ingredient.

  • Researchers studied the reaction of maleic acid with other chemicals in the laboratory.

  • Unripe apples contain small amounts of maleic acid, which contributes to their tartness.

Surface Forms

maleic acid singular
maleic acids plural

Morphology

maleic + acid

The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun naming a type of acid: 'maleic' marks the specific kind and 'acid' gives the chemical category, so the overall meaning ('an acid of the maleic type') is compositionally predictable. Although 'maleic' is a specialized technical label, given knowledge of both constituents the MWE's meaning follows the regular English pattern for naming chemicals and is therefore transparent to learners.

Etymology

Maleic acid may get its name from older words linked to apples. One popular story says the related word malic comes from Latin 'malum' meaning 'apple', and because similar acids were first found in sour fruits, the name maleic came to label this tart acid used in industry.