Dictionary
lau'ric ac'id
Chem.
a white, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, C
12H
24O
2, a fatty acid occurring as the glyceride in many vegetable fats, esp. coconut oil and laurel oil: used chiefly in the manufacture of soaps, detergents, cosmetics, and lauryl alcohol. Also called
dodecanoic acid. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.