aliphatic: Meaning and Definition of

al•i•phat•ic

Pronunciation: (al"u-fat'ik), [key]
— adj. Chem.
  1. pertaining to nonaromatic hydrocarbon compounds in which the constituent carbon atoms can be straight-chain, branched chain, or cyclic, as in alicyclic compounds; saturated, as in the paraffins; or unsaturated, as in the olefins and alkynes.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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