noun

• A carboxylic acid consisting of a hydrocarbon chain and a terminal carboxyl group, especially any of those occurring as esters in fats and oils.

  ‘Soaps are created by the chemical reaction of a fatty acid with an alkali metal hydroxide.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The carboxyl group on the fatty acid contributes some water solubility to the molecule.’
  • ‘The cellulose is digested by the bacteria and they supply the animals with short chain fatty acids.’
  • ‘Vitamin E is more reactive than the fatty acid molecule and, therefore, reacts instead of it.’
  • ‘The most common monounsaturated fatty acids are those oleic acids found in most oils.’