Phrase guide

caprylic acid

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A fatty acid, CH3(CH2)6COOH, obtained from butter and other animal fats, and used in the manufacture of perfumes and flavours.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, organic-chemistry, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: saturated fatty acid

History

Etymology

By surface analysis, capr- + -yl + -ic and acid.

Across languages

Translations

8 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 辛酸 (xīnsuān) — fatty acid
  • Finnish: kapryylihappo — fatty acid
  • German: Caprylsäure — fatty acid
  • Polish: kwas kaprylowy — fatty acid
  • Polish: kwas oktanowy — fatty acid
  • Portuguese: ácido caprílico — fatty acid
  • Russian: капри́ловая кислота́ (kaprílovaja kislotá) — fatty acid
  • Swedish: kaprylsyra — fatty acid