linoleic acid

lin·o·le·ic acid  (ln-lk)

n.

An unsaturated fatty acid, C₁₇H₃₁COOH, considered essential to the human diet, that is an important component of drying oils, such as linseed oil.

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[Greek linon, flax; see lno- in Indo-European roots + oleic acid.]

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linoleic acid [ˌlɪnəʊˈliːɪk]

n

(Chemistry / Elements & Compounds) a colourless oily essential fatty acid found in many natural oils, such as linseed: used in the manufacture of soaps, emulsifiers, and driers. Formula: C₁₈H₃₂O₂

[from Latin līnum flax + oleic acid; so named because it is found in linseed oil]

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linoleic acid  (ln-lk)

An unsaturated fatty acid that has two double bonds and is a nutrient essential for prostaglandin production in the human body. It is an important component of many vegetable oils, such as linseed, soybean, peanut, corn, and safflower oil, and is also found in meat and dairy products. Chemical formula: C₁₈H₃₂O₂.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

linoleic acid - a liquid polyunsaturated fatty acid abundant in plant fats and oils; a fatty acid essential for nutrition; used to make soap linolic acid corn oil - oil from the germs of corn grains soyabean oil, soybean oil - oil from soya beans polyunsaturated fatty acid - an unsaturated fatty acid whose carbon chain has more than one double or triple valence bond per molecule; found chiefly in fish and corn and soybean oil and safflower oil flaxseed oil, linseed oil - a drying oil extracted from flax seed and used in making such things as oil paints