pyruvic acid

Meanings

1. A yellowish organic keto acid, 2-oxopropanoic acid, which occurs as an intermediate in many metabolic processes, especially glycolysis.

Etymology

From New Latin acidum pyruvicum, from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, “fire”) + ūva (“grape”) + -icum (neuter singular of -icus), from its being produced by the dry distillation of racemic acid, originally derived from grapes. By surface analysis, pyr(e) + Latin uv(a) + -ic.