an unsaturated fatty acid, CHCOOH, found as a glyceryl ester in linseed oil and other fats and oils: used as a drying agent and in soaps, foods, etc. and considered essential in animal diets
Origin:
< L linum, flax + oleic
See linoleic acid in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
An unsaturated fatty acid, C17H31COOH, considered essential to the human diet, that is an important component of drying oils, such as linseed oil.
Origin:
Origin: Greek linon, flax; see lĭ̄no- in Indo-European roots