methanoic acid

English

Noun

methanoic acid (uncountable)

1. (organic chemistry) The simplest carboxylic acid, HCOOH, a colorless, corrosive liquid with a sharp odor; it is present in the stings of ants, bees and nettles, and is prepared industrially by oxidation of methanol or formaldehyde; it has some industrial uses, and its esters, the methanoates, are used in perfumes.

Synonyms

• E236 (when used as a food preservative)
• formic acid (Trivial name)

Translations

formic acid

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 甲酸 (gaap³ syun¹)

  Mandarin: 甲酸 (zh) (jiǎsuān)

• Danish: methansyre
• Finnish: metaanihappo (fi)
• French: acide méthanoïque (fr) m
• German: Methansäure f
• Spanish: ácido metanoico m
• Swedish: metansyra (sv) c
• Welsh: asid methanöig m