propanoic acid

Meanings

1. A colourless liquid with a sharp unpleasant odour; produced by the bacterial breakdown of fatty acids and therefore found in sweat and some cheese.
2. The short chain aliphatic carboxylic acid, CH₃CH₂COOH, used as a preservative, and in the manufacture of many chemical compounds.

Etymology

An IUPAC systematic name for the chemical originally named propionic acid. The prop- prefix is derived from propionic.