lactic acid

/ˈlæktɪk ˈæsɪd/

noun

2-Hydroxypropanoic acid (CH₃CHOHCO₂H), a syrupy liquid, soluble in water; found in milk, wine and many fruits; used as a food additive and in many industrial applications.

Similar
E270 when used as a preservativelactonic acidmilk acid2-hydroxypropanoic acid
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Meanings

nounlactic acid (countable and uncountable, plural lactic acids)

plural lactic acids

  1. countableuncountablechemistry2-Hydroxypropanoic acid (CH₃CHOHCO₂H), a syrupy liquid, soluble in water; found in milk, wine and many fruits; used as a food additive and in many industrial applications.

    It was [Roger] Federer's ability to pull him around the court that put the lactic acid and debilitating weight in those legs and he should not have been allowed the luxury of his trainer's help.

    2012 June 29, Kevin Mitchell, “Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 15 Nov 2016

    Synonyms: E270 when used as a preservative, lactonic acid, milk acid, 2-hydroxypropanoic acid

Synonyms & antonyms

noun2-Hydroxypropanoic acid (CH₃CHOHCO₂H), a syrupy liquid, soluble in water; found in milk, wine and many fruits; used as a food additive and in many industrial applications.

Similar
E270 when used as a preservativelactonic acidmilk acid2-hydroxypropanoic acid

Translations

Basque azido laktiko
  • azido laktiko2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Bulgarian млечна киселина
  • млечна киселина (mlečna kiselina)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Catalan àcid làctic
  • àcid làctic2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Chinese Mandarin 乳酸
  • 乳酸 (rǔsuān)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Czech kyselina mléčná
  • kyselina mléčná2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Danish mælkesyre
  • mælkesyre2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Dutch melkzuur
  • melkzuur2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Esperanto laktacido, lakta acido
  • laktacido2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
  • lakta acido2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
  • laktata acido2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Estonian piimhape
  • piimhape2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Finnish maitohappo
  • maitohappo2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
French acide lactique
  • acide lactique2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
German Milchsäure
  • Milchsäure2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Greek γαλακτικό οξύ
  • γαλακτικό οξύ (galaktikó oxý)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Hungarian tejsav
  • tejsav2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Icelandic mjólkursýra
  • mjólkursýra2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Indonesian asam laktat
  • asam laktat2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Irish aigéad lachtach
  • aigéad lachtach2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Italian acido lattico
  • acido lattico2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Japanese 乳酸
  • 乳酸 (nyūsan)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Korean 락트산
  • 락트산 (rakteusan)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Latin acidum lacticum
  • acidum lacticum2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Latvian pienskābe
  • pienskābe2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Lithuanian pieno rūgštis
  • pieno rūgštis2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Malay asid laktik
  • asid laktik2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Māori waikawa waiū
  • waikawa waiū2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Norwegian Bokmål melkesyre, mjølkesyre
  • melkesyre2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
  • mjølkesyre2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Persian اسید لاکتیک
  • اسید لاکتیک2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Polish kwas mlekowy
  • kwas mlekowy2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Portuguese ácido lático
  • ácido lático2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Russian моло́чная кислота́
  • моло́чная кислота́ (molóčnaja kislotá)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Slovak kyselina mliečna
  • kyselina mliečna2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Spanish ácido láctico
  • ácido láctico2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Swedish mjölksyra
  • mjölksyra2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Thai กรดแล็กติก, กรดน้ำนม
  • กรดแล็กติก2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
  • กรดน้ำนม2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Turkish laktik asit
  • laktik asit2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Ukrainian моло́чна кислота́
  • моло́чна кислота́ (molóčna kyslotá)2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Welsh asid lactig, asid llaeth
  • asid lactig2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
  • asid llaeth2-hydroxy-propanoic acid (CH3.CHOH.CO2H)
Cite this entry
APA

lactic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lactic%20acid

MLA

“lactic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lactic%20acid. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lactic acid,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lactic%20acid.

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