a white or yellowish powdery polysaccharide having marked hydrophilic properties. Extracted from kelp, it is used mainly in the food and textile industries and in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Formula: (C6H8O6)n; molecular wt: 32 000–250 000
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
al•gin′ic ac′id
(al jin′ik),USA pronunciation [Chem.]
- Chemistryan insoluble, colloidal acid, (C6H8O6)n, found in the cell walls of various kelps, esp. brown kelps, known chiefly in the form of its salts, and used as a thickening or stabilizing agent in foodstuffs, esp. ice cream, and for sizing paper.
- algin + -ic 1885–90
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