Dictionary
sal'icyl'ic ac'id
Chem., Pharm.
a white, crystalline, very slightly water-soluble powder, C
7H
6O
3, prepared from salicin or phenol: used as a food preservative, in the manufacture of aspirin, and in medicine chiefly in the form of a salicylate as a remedy for rheumatic and gouty conditions.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.