Fatty-acid definition

Any of a large group of organic acids, especially those found in animal and vegetable fats and oils. Fatty acids are mainly composed of long chains of hydrocarbons ending in a carboxyl group. A fatty acid is saturated when the bonds between carbon atoms are all single bonds. It is unsaturated when any of these bonds is a double bond.

Any of a large group of monoprotic acids, especially those found in animal and vegetable fats and oils, having the general formula C_n H_2n+1 COOH. Characteristically made up of saturated or unsaturated aliphatic compounds with an even number of carbon atoms, this group of acids includes palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids.

Any of a class of lipids consisting of various saturated or unsaturated, monobasic organic acids, generally RCOOH, usually in a straight chain: they occur naturally in the form of glycerol esters in animal or vegetable fats and oils.

Any of a large group of monoprotic acids, especially those found in animal and vegetable fats and oils, having the general formula C_n H_2n+1 COOH. Characteristically made up of saturated or unsaturated aliphatic compounds with an even number of carbon atoms, this group of acids includes palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids.

See also fatty acid.