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lactone

[ lak-tohn ]

noun

, Chemistry.
  1. any of a group of internal esters derived from hydroxy acids.


lactone

/ ˈlæktəʊn; lækˈtɒnɪk /

noun

  1. any of a class of organic compounds formed from hydroxy acids and containing the group -C(CO)OC-, where the carbon atoms are part of a ring
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


lactone

/ lăktōn′ /

  1. Any of various organic esters derived from organic acids by removal of water. Lactones are formed when the carboxyl (COOH) group of the acid reacts with a hydroxyl (OH) group in the same acid, releasing water and causing the carbon atom to join to the hydroxyl's remaining oxygen atom, forming a ring. Vitamin C, the antibiotic erythromycin, and many commercially important substances are lactones.


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Derived Forms

  • lactonic, adjective
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Other Words From

  • lac·ton·ic [lak-, ton, -ik], adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of lactone1

First recorded in 1840–50; lact- + -one
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Example Sentences

Another of these substances is ellagic acid C14H6O8, a double lactone of a hexa-hydroxy-diphenyldicarboxylic acid.

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