Meanings
nounpyruvic acid (uncountable)
- uncountablebiochemistryA yellowish organic keto acid, 2-oxopropanoic acid, which occurs as an intermediate in many metabolic processes, especially glycolysis.
Origin
- Ancient Greekπῦρ“fire”
- New Latinacidum pyruvicum
- Englishpyruvic acid
From New Latin acidum pyruvicum, from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, “fire”) + ūva (“grape”) + -icum (neuter singular of -icus), from its being produced by the dry distillation of racemic acid, originally derived from grapes. By surface analysis, pyr(e) + Latin uv(a) + -ic.
More words from New Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 丙酮酸
- 丙酮酸 (bǐng tóng suān)Translations
Esperanto piruva acido
- piruva acidoTranslations
Finnish palorypälehappo
- palorypälehappoTranslations
German Brenztraubensäure
- BrenztraubensäureTranslations
Hungarian piroszőlősav
- piroszőlősavTranslations
Japanese 焦性葡萄酸
- 焦性葡萄酸 (shōseibudōsan)Translations
Russian пировиногра́дная кислота́
- пировиногра́дная кислота́ (pirovinográdnaja kislotá)Translations
Spanish ácido pirúvico
- ácido pirúvicoTranslations
Swedish pyrodruvsyra
- pyrodruvsyraTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with pyruvic acid
acidplacidantacidflaccidalendronic acidamidotrizoic acidaminocaproic acidaminosalicylic acidbarbituric aciddiaciddiatrizoic acidetidronic acidglycyrrhizic acidhydracidhydrochloric acidhyperacidhypoacidiopanoic acidiopodic acidisethionic acidjassidmonacidmonoacidmycophenolic acid
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
pyruvic acid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyruvic%20acid
MLA
“pyruvic acid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyruvic%20acid. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pyruvic acid,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyruvic%20acid.
Source: pyruvic acid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.