Meanings
- uncountableA colourless liquid with a sharp unpleasant odour; produced by the bacterial breakdown of fatty acids and therefore found in sweat and some cheese.
- uncountablechemistryThe short chain aliphatic carboxylic acid, CH₃CH₂COOH, used as a preservative, and in the manufacture of many chemical compounds.
Synonyms: E280 when used as a preservative, propionic acid
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe short chain aliphatic carboxylic acid, CH₃CH₂COOH, used as a preservative, and in the manufacture of many chemical compounds.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna liquid fatty acid found in milk and sweat and in fuel distillates
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
An IUPAC systematic name for the chemical originally named propionic acid. The prop- prefix is derived from propionic.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 丙酸
- 丙酸 (bǐngsuān)systematic name of a kind of fatty acid
Finnish propaanihappo
- propaanihapposystematic name of a kind of fatty acid
French acide propanoïque
- acide propanoïquesystematic name of a kind of fatty acid
German Propansäure
- Propansäuresystematic name of a kind of fatty acid
Cite this entry
propanoic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/propanoic%20acid
“propanoic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/propanoic%20acid. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “propanoic acid,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/propanoic%20acid.
Source: propanoic acid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.