Etymology

hircic acid

Today it means: A type of oily acid (a mixture rich in capric- and caproic acids) made from mutton suet, having an odor similar to that of a goat, used in the early days of the production of soap, and in soup-making. Full definition →

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The story

Named by Michel Eugène Chevreul, a French chemist. First use in 1823

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.