Meanings
- uncountablebiochemistryA heterocyclic dicarboxylic acid isolated from certain red algae; used as an anthelmintic in Japan.
Origin
- Japanese海人草
- Englishkainic acid
Borrowed from Japanese 海人草 (kainin-sou).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
kainic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kainic%20acid
“kainic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kainic%20acid. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kainic acid,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kainic%20acid.
Source: kainic acid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.