carboxylic
|car-box-y-lic|
🇺🇸
/ˌkɑr.bəkˈsɪl.ɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌkɑː.bɒkˈsɪl.ɪk/
pertaining to carboxyl (-COOH)
Etymology
'carboxylic' originates from modern chemical formation, specifically from the noun 'carboxyl' + the adjectival suffix '-ic', where 'carboxyl' itself was formed from 'carb-' (from Latin 'carbo' meaning 'coal, carbon') and the element 'oxyl' (from Greek 'oxys' meaning 'sharp', used in chemical names for oxygen-related radicals).
'carboxylic' changed from the 19th-century chemical coinage 'carboxyl' (a name for the carboxyl radical/group) and developed into the modern English adjective 'carboxylic' by adding the suffix '-ic' to denote 'pertaining to carboxyl'.
Initially it meant 'pertaining to the carboxyl radical or group', and over time it has retained this meaning, being used specifically to describe acids and compounds containing the -COOH functional group.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to, containing, or derived from a carboxyl group (-COOH); often used to describe acids or compounds that include this functional group.
Carboxylic acids are organic compounds that contain a carboxylic group (-COOH).
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/08 08:11