aceto-, acet-; relating to acetic acid derivatives

(Latin: vinegar; sour, to be sour)

acetal (s) (noun), acetals (pl)
1. A colorless, flammable, volatile liquid used as a solvent: Acetal is also used in perfumes.
2. Any of the compounds formed from aldehydes combined with alcohol: Products using acetal are found in aerospace, bearings and bushings and in preparing and processing food and beverages.
3. Etymology: originated in the middle of the 19th century from acetic acid + al from alcohol.
acetate (s) (noun), acetates (pl)
1. A salt or ester of acetic acid: Some firms link a succinate molecule or acetate to Vitamin E to make it stable.
2. Cellulose acetate or any of various products: A floppy disk platter, being thin, were made of acetate plastic.

Caution should be used when wearing clothing with fibres containing blends of acetate.

acetic (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Having the nature of vinegar: The result of acetic fermentation is a sour-tasting liquid and only requires oxygen, bacteria, and alcohol.
2. Pertaining to, derived from, or producing vinegar: The typical everyday wines are low in acetic acid except the red wines which may be immoderately acetic and taste quite sour!
acetic (uh SEE tik) (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Sour, tart, tangy, acerbic: The pickles that Mary had were much too ascetic and much too sour!
2. A reference to vinegar or other acid characteristics: The acetic flavor of vinegar is used in salad dressings to give them a little punch.
acetification (s) (noun), acetifications (pl)
The process of making something sour or acetous: Acetification takes place when wine vinegar is made of the juice of grapes, and which is very common in European countries.
acetifier (s) (noun), acetifiers (pl)
Equipment or a device used to speed up the process of acetification: An acetifier is used for fermenting liquors by exposing a large or significant surface to the air.
acetify (verb), acetifies; acetified; acetifying
To convert or to become converted to acetic acid or vinegar: If wine bottles are kept lying flat, they do not acetify because, when oxygen is missing, the foam on the surface of such fermenting liquids cannot increase in amount.
acetimeter, acetometer (s) (noun); acetimeters; acetometers (pl)
An instrument for estimating the amount of acetic acid in a liquid containing this acid: An acetimeter is a device for calculating the strength of vinegar.
acetimetry (s) (noun), acetimetries (pl)
The method of determining the strength or the amount of sourness contained in a liquid: In her science book, there was an interesting section on acetimetry relating to assessing the proportion of acetic acid in beverages.
acetolysis (s) (noun), acetolyses (pl)
Decomposition of an organic compound using acetic acid or acetic anhydride: When employing acetolysis, the sample is processed with sulfuric acid and anhydride which breaks up the cellulosic matter.
acetone (s) (noun), acetones (pl)
A colorless, volatile, extremely flammable liquid ketone: Acetone is fragrant and, as an organic compound product, can be detected in large quantities in diabetic urine.
acetonemia (s) (noun) (no pl)
Excessive acetone or ketone bodies in the blood: Acetonemia can sometimes be detected in cows throughout the first weeks following the birth of a calf.

Ketone bodies are substances that are produced by fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism in the liver.

acetonuria (s) (noun) (no pl)
Excretion in the urine of large amounts of acetone: Acetonuria is an indication of incomplete oxidation of large amounts of lipids and commonly occurs in diabetic acidosis.
acetose, acetous (adjective); more acetose, most acetose; more acetous, most acetous
1. Concerning something sour like vinegar: Jane mixed some olive oil with some acetous liquid to make the salad dressing.
2. Regarding something that tastes like vinegar: Not only was the acetose beverage Susan tried to drink extremely tart and bitter, but it also smelled quite strong.
acetum (s) (noun), acetums (pl)
Vinegar: Acetum, made by alcohol oxidizing in cider or wine, is commonly used for flavouring or seasoning in foods.

Cross references of word families that are related directly, or indirectly, to: "sour, sharp": acerb-; acid-; acies- (not "sour"); acuto- (not "sour"); oxy-; pung- (not "sour").