oxaloacetic acid

noun

ox·​a·​lo·​ace·​tic acid ˌäk-sə-lō-ə-ˈsē-tik- How to pronounce oxaloacetic acid (audio)
variants or less commonly oxalacetic acid
: a crystalline acid C4H4O5 that is formed by reversible oxidation of malic acid (as in carbohydrate metabolism via the Krebs cycle) and in reversible transamination reactions (as from aspartic acid)

Word History

Etymology

oxalic + acetic acid

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oxaloacetic acid was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near oxaloacetic acid

Cite this Entry

“Oxaloacetic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oxaloacetic%20acid. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

oxaloacetic acid

noun
ox·​a·​lo·​ace·​tic acid ˌäk-sə-lō-ə-ˌsēt-ik- How to pronounce oxaloacetic acid (audio)
variants also oxalacetic acid
: a crystalline acid C4H4O5 that is formed by reversible oxidation of malic acid (as in carbohydrate metabolism via the Krebs cycle) and in reversible transamination reactions (as from aspartic acid)
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