tartaric

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: tar=tar=ic

CIDE DICTIONARY

tartaric, a. 

 Of or pertaining to Tartary in Asia, or the Tartars.  [1913 Webster]

Tartarian lamb (Bot.), Scythian lamb. See Barometz.

tartaric, a. 

 Of or pertaining to tartar; derived from, or resembling, tartar.  [1913 Webster]

Tartaric acid. (a) An acid widely diffused throughout the vegetable kingdom, as in grapes, mountain-ash berries, etc., and obtained from tartar as a white crystalline substance, C2H2(OH)2.(CO2H)2, having a strong pure acid taste. It is used in medicine, in dyeing, calico printing, photography, etc., and also as a substitute for lemon juice. Called also dextro-tartaric acid. (b) By extension, any one of the series of isomeric acids (racemic acid, levotartaric acid, inactive tartaric acid) of which tartaric acid proper is the type.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tartaric, adj. Chem. of or produced from tartar.

Idiom

tartaric acid a natural carboxylic acid found esp. in unripe grapes, used in baking powders and as a food additive.

Etymology

F tartarique f. med.L tartarum: see TARTAR