phenylacetic acid

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a white crystalline, aromatic acid, C 8 H 8 O 2 , used in the manufacture of penicillin and in perfumes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phenylacetic acid¹

First recorded in 1875–80; phenyl + acetic acid

Example Sentences

The researchers purified the proteins and added them to a vial containing phenylacetic acid, the normal starting material for Phd B. But in this case the phenylacetic acid was made using carbon-13, a rare isotope of carbon that enabled Beller’s team to trace the fate of the compound as it reacted.

From Science Magazine

Whenever they spot Escovopsis, they secrete phenylacetic acid from a special gland in their thoraxes, a strategy that kills the fungus and sets the ants apart from close relatives that cultivate bacteria and other microbes to fight off the fungi.

From Science Magazine

The fungi are fighting back, though: The authors state that populations of the fungus living alongside the ants display an increased resistance to phenylacetic acid.

From Science Magazine

The odor of phenylacetic acid is disagreeable and persistent.

From Project Gutenberg

There are numerous other ways in which phenylacetic acid has been formed, but none of them is of practical importance for its preparation.

From Project Gutenberg