Adipic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A dicarboxylic acid used primarily in the manufacture of nylon and other synthetic materials
2. A compound frequently utilized as a building block in the production of plastics and elastomers
3. An organic acid mainly applied in the creation of various polyamides and polyester products

Etymology: Adipic acid takes its name from the Latin "adeps", meaning "lard" or "fat", which is also the source of words like "adipose" for fatty tissue. The acid was first obtained by oxidizing fats, which is why a word for animal grease ended up naming a chemical compound. Today the acid is made mostly from petroleum-derived chemicals rather than fat, and it is one of the key building blocks for nylon 6,6 and various polyesters. The name survives as a reminder of its original source, even though the industrial process no longer depends on animal fat.