myristic acid

 
Pronunciation: /mʌɪˈrɪstɪk, mɪ-/

noun

[mass noun] Chemistry
  • a compound present in oil of nutmeg and other natural fats.
    • A straight-chain fatty acid; chemical formula: CH3(CH2)12COOH

Origin:

mid 19th century: myristic from modern Latin Myristica (genus name), from medieval Latin (nux) myristica 'nutmeg', from Greek murizein 'anoint'