saturated fatty acid

/ˌsætʃəˈreɪdɪd ˌfædi ˌæsəd/

Other forms: saturated fatty acids

Definitions of saturated fatty acid

1. noun

   a fatty acid whose carbon chain cannot absorb any more hydrogen atoms; found chiefly in animal fats
   types:

   heptadecanoic acid, margaric acid

   a colorless crystalline synthetic fatty acid

   butanoic acid, butyric acid

   an unpleasant smelling fatty acid found especially in butter

   capric acid, decanoic acid

   a fatty acid found in animal oils and fats; has an unpleasant smell resembling goats

   caproic acid, hexanoic acid

   a fatty acid found in animal oils and fats or made synthetically; smells like goats

   caprylic acid

   a fatty acid having a rancid taste; found in butter and other fats and oils

   dodecanoic acid, lauric acid

   a crystalline fatty acid occurring as glycerides in natural fats and oils (especially coconut oil and palm-kernel oil)

   myristic acid, tetradecanoic acid

   a saturated fatty acid occurring naturally in animal and vegetable fats

   hexadecanoic acid, palmitic acid

   a saturated fatty acid that is the major fat in meat and dairy products

   octadecanoic acid, stearic acid

   a waxy saturated fatty acid; occurs widely as a glyceride in animal and vegetable fats

   hydroxybutyric acid, oxybutyric acid

   hydroxy derivative of butyric acid

   type of:

   fatty acid

   any of a class of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids that form part of a lipid molecule and can be derived from fat by hydrolysis; fatty acids are simple molecules built around a series of carbon atoms linked together in a chain of 12 to 22 carbon atoms