citral

[ si-truhl ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a pale yellow, water-insoluble, liquid aldehyde, C 10 H 16 O, having a strong lemonlike odor, consisting in natural form of two isomers citral a, or geranial, and citral b, or neral, usually obtained from the oils of lemon and orange or synthetically: used chiefly in perfumery, flavoring, and the synthesis of vitamin A.

citral

/ ˈsɪtrəl /

noun

1. a yellow volatile liquid with a lemon-like odour, found in oils of lemon grass, orange, and lemon and used in perfumery: a terpene aldehyde consisting of the cis- isomer ( citral-a or geranial ) and the trans- isomer ( citral-b or neral ). Formula: (CH 3 ) 2 C:CH(CH 2 ) 2 C(CH 3 ):CHCHO

Word History and Origins

Origin of citral¹

First recorded in 1890–95; citr(us) + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of citral¹

C19: from citr ( us ) + -al ³

Example Sentences

Another flavor component, citral, makes lemons taste lemony.

From New York Times

The citral in lemons is chemically the same as citral derived from lemongrass and lemon myrtle, both of which are labeled “natural.”

From New York Times

Monikers like Culiacan or Citral typically denote a strain of the marijuana plant or the locale in which it was grown.

From Slate

Citral, the aldehyde occurring largely in lemon-grass and verbena oils, also to a less extent in lemon and orange oils, and possessing an intense lemon-like odour.

From Project Gutenberg

The oil contains eugenol, myrcene, chavicol, methyl eugenol, methyl chavicol, phellandrene, and citral.

From Project Gutenberg