hydroxybutyric acid

noun

Either of the isomeric compounds formed from a butyric acid by substituting a hydrogen atom with a hydroxyl group

“betahydroxybutyric acid - 3-hydroxy-butanoic acid”

Similar
oxybutyric acid
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Meanings

nounhydroxybutyric acid (plural hydroxybutyric acids)

plural hydroxybutyric acids

  1. chemistryEither of the isomeric compounds formed from a butyric acid by substituting a hydrogen atom with a hydroxyl group

    2-hydroxy, 2-methylpropanoic acid

    4 more examples

    alphahydroxybutyric acid - 2-hydroxy-butanoic acid

    betahydroxybutyric acid - 3-hydroxy-butanoic acid

    gammahydroxybutyric acid - 4-hydroxy-butanoic acid

    3-hydroxy, 2-methylpropanoic acid

Synonyms & antonyms

nounhydroxy derivative of butyric acid

Similar
oxybutyric acid
Broader
butyric acidbutanoic acid

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From hydroxy- + butyric acid.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hydroxybutyric acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydroxybutyric%20acid

MLA

“hydroxybutyric acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydroxybutyric%20acid. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydroxybutyric acid,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydroxybutyric%20acid.

Source: hydroxybutyric acid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.