: any of various cyclic esters formed from hydroxy acids
Examples of lactone in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hookworm is typically treated with one of three classes of antiparasitic drugs: benzimidazoles, macrocyclic lactones or tetrahydropyrimidines.
—
Bradley Van Paridon, Scientific American, 1 June 2023
In other words, the oak lactones flee from the growing amount of water and have less and less surface area from which to contribute to the aroma.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 6 May 2023
The semi-synthetic drug is classified as a macrocyclic lactone, a molecule made up of a ring of mostly carbon and oxygen atoms.
—Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2021
Another clean fragrance brand, St. Rose, imbues its creations with a macrocyclic synthetic musk called juniper lactone to lend scents like St. Rose’s Desert Nomad an earthy bounce.
—ELLE, 30 Apr. 2022
Ivermectin was developed by Merck in the 1970s, decades before molnupiravir, and is classified as a macrocyclic lactone.
—Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2021
The company was able to biosynthesize the musk fragrance compounds by leveraging its lactone production technology with its lipid platform.
—John Cumbers, Forbes, 12 May 2021
Those similar substances include flavonoids, a group of plant metabolites that have antioxidant effects, and sesquiterpene lactones, a class of chemical compounds that are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, Merville said.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 4 May 2016
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Bradley Van Paridon, Scientific American, 1 June 2023
In other words, the oak lactones flee from the growing amount of water and have less and less surface area from which to contribute to the aroma.
—Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 6 May 2023
The semi-synthetic drug is classified as a macrocyclic lactone, a molecule made up of a ring of mostly carbon and oxygen atoms.
—Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2021
Another clean fragrance brand, St. Rose, imbues its creations with a macrocyclic synthetic musk called juniper lactone to lend scents like St. Rose’s Desert Nomad an earthy bounce.
—ELLE, 30 Apr. 2022
Ivermectin was developed by Merck in the 1970s, decades before molnupiravir, and is classified as a macrocyclic lactone.
—Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2021
The company was able to biosynthesize the musk fragrance compounds by leveraging its lactone production technology with its lipid platform.
—John Cumbers, Forbes, 12 May 2021
Those similar substances include flavonoids, a group of plant metabolites that have antioxidant effects, and sesquiterpene lactones, a class of chemical compounds that are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, Merville said.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 4 May 2016
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lactone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1880, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near lactone
Cite this Entry
“Lactone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lactone. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
lactone
noun
lac·tone
ˈlak-ˌtōn 
More from Merriam-Webster on lactone
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lactone
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