Cyclamic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or derived from cyclamic acid, an organic sulfur compound used as a basis for artificial sweeteners
2. Describing a chemical substance connected with cyclamic acid, a compound whose salts serve as non-caloric sweetening agents
3. Referring to compounds derived from cyclamic acid, which are used in some low-calorie artificial sweeteners

Etymology: Cyclamic acid is a chemical compound, and the word is a technical name built from the parts of its chemical makeup rather than a term that developed through everyday speech. Its first element, "cyclo-", comes from the Greek "kyklos", meaning "circle" or "ring", and refers to the closed ring of carbon atoms in its molecular structure. The "-amic" ending is the chemistry suffix used for compounds containing an amide-type group, and "sulfamic" points to the sulfur-and-nitrogen part of the molecule. The word is a synonym for "cyclohexylsulfamic", a longer systematic name that spells out the same structure: a cyclohexyl ring attached to a sulfamic group. Chemists often shorten such names into a single adjective once the compound becomes widely discussed, and the shorter form is the one that stuck in ordinary use.