Definition of carboxylic acid in English:
carboxylic acid
nounˌkɑːbɒkˈsɪlɪkˌkärbäkˌsilik ˈasid
Chemistry An organic acid containing a carboxyl group. The simplest examples are methanoic (or formic) acid and ethanoic (or acetic) acid.
Example sentencesExamples
- A special form of carboxylic acids are the amino acids, which are carboxylic acids that also have a nitrogen-containing group called an amine group in the molecule.
- Nitriles can be decomposed by acids or alkalis to give the corresponding carboxylic acid or they can be reduced to give primary amines.
- Formic acid belongs to the family of carboxylic acids and has the chemical formula HCOOH or HCO 2 H.
- In the production of nylon an amine reacts with a carboxylic acid.
- Previously, researchers had found inside meteorites other organic, carbon-based compounds that play major roles in life on Earth, such as amino acids and carboxylic acids, but no sugars.