pentanoic acid

/ ˌpɛntəˈnəʊɪk /

noun

1. a colourless liquid carboxylic acid with an unpleasant odour, used in making perfumes, flavourings, and pharmaceuticals. Formula: CH 3 (CH 2 ) 3 COOH Also calledvaleric acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of pentanoic acid¹

from pentane

Example Sentences

Semova and Rawls chemically bonded fluorescent molecules to two common fatty acids, palmitic acid pentanoic acid, and mixed the glowing fats into the egg yolk of embryonic zebrafish.

From Scientific American

A patient chemist might have concocted the magic potion: old perspiration reactivated by new; a hint of stagnant water; various industrial lubricants and detergents; cheap scents from a dispensing machine; a selection of hydrocarbons and carboxyls, and, dominating the other smells, pentanoic acid, from brakes and human warmth, which occurs naturally in valerian.

From The Guardian