Dictionary
pyru'vic ac'id
Chem., Biochem.
a water-soluble liquid, C
3H
4O
3, important in many metabolic and fermentative processes, having an odor resembling that of acetic acid, prepared by the dehydration of tartaric acid: used chiefly in biochemical research. Also called
acetylformic acid, pyroracemic acid. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.