an unsaturated fatty acid, CHCOOH, found as a glyceryl ester in fats and oils: used in drying oils, varnishes, resins, paints, etc. and considered essential in animal diets
Origin:
< linol(eic acid) + -en(e) + -ic
See linolenic acid in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
An unsaturated fatty acid, C17H29COOH, considered essential to the human diet, that is an important component of natural drying oils.