stearin

[ stee-uh-rin, steer-in ]

noun

1. Chemistry. any of the three glyceryl esters of stearic acid, especially C 3 H 5 (C 1 8 H 3 5 O 2 ) 3 , a soft, white, odorless solid found in many natural fats.
2. the crude commercial form of stearic acid, used chiefly in the manufacture of candles.

stearin

/ ˈstɪərɪn /

noun

1. Also calledtristearin a colourless crystalline ester of glycerol and stearic acid, present in fats and used in soap and candles; glycerol tristearate; glycerol trioctadecanoate. Formula: (C 17 H 35 COO) 3 C 3 H 5
2. another name for stearic acid, esp a commercial grade containing other fatty acids
3. fat in its solid form

stearin

/ stē′ər-ĭn,stîr′ĭn /

1. A colorless, odorless, tasteless ester of glycerol and stearic acid found in most animal and vegetable fats and used in the manufacture of soaps, candles, metal polishes, and adhesives. Chemical formula: C 57 H 110 O 6 .
2. The solid form of fat.

Word History and Origins

Origin of stearin¹

1810–20; < French stéarine < Greek stéar fat, grease + French -ine -ine ²; -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of stearin¹

C19: from French stéarine, from Greek stear fat, tallow + -in

Example Sentences

Grease a mold or ovenproof dish with paraffin or stearin and bake for 2½ hours.

From Literature

It contains large quantities of stearin and has a low iodine value, making it a slow drying oil.

From Project Gutenberg

Fatty Acids, the homologues of formic and acetic acid; so called because the members first studied were obtained from fats and oils, e.g. butyric acid from butter, stearic acid from stearin, palmitic acid from palm-oil.

From Project Gutenberg

Ela�in, the oily principle of fat obtained by submitting fat to the action of boiling alcohol, allowing the stearin to crystallize, and then evaporating the alcoholic solution.

From Project Gutenberg

It consists chiefly of stearin, palmitin and olein.

From Project Gutenberg