pelargonic acid

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, oily, water-immiscible liquid, C 9 H 1 8 O 2 , occurring as an ester in a volatile oil in species of pelargonium: used chiefly in organic synthesis and in the manufacture of lacquers and plastics.

pelargonic acid

/ ˌpɛləˈɡɒnɪk /

noun

1. another name for nonanoic acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelargonic acid¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Word History and Origins

Origin of pelargonic acid¹

C19: so named because it was originally derived from pelargonium leaves

Example Sentences

Some weed plots were mowed, others were buried in mulch and some were sprayed with either glyphosate, hot foam or pelargonic acid, a corrosive and foul-smelling oily chemical that is sometimes used as an herbicide.

From Salon

The other methods such as mulching or the pelargonic acid didn't fare nearly as well, but the authors emphasized that combining different strategies instead of using just one would be most advantageous.

From Salon

It is promptly oxidized by nitric acid, and is converted into pelargonic acid and other fatty acids.

From Project Gutenberg

In my last research on the action of nitric acid on oil of rue, I found that besides the fatty acids, which Gerhardt had already discovered, pelargonic acid is formed.

From Project Gutenberg

New researches, however, have led to the supposition that the odorous principle of quinces is derived from the ether of pelargonic acid.

From Project Gutenberg