Dictionary
lac'tic ac'id
Biochem.
a colorless or yellowish, syrupy, water-soluble liquid, C
3H
6O
3, produced during muscle contraction as a product of anaerobic glucose metabolism, abundant in sour milk, prepared usually by fermentation of cornstarch, molasses, potatoes, etc., or synthesized: used chiefly in dyeing and textile printing, as a flavoring agent in food, and in medicine.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.