phenylacetic acid

noun Chemistry.

a white crystalline, aromatic acid, C8H8O2, used in the manufacture of penicillin and in perfumes.

Origin of phenylacetic acid

First recorded in 1875–80; phenyl + acetic acid

Words nearby phenylacetic acid

phenyl acetate, phenyl group, phenyl isocyanate, phenyl valerate, phenylacetaldehyde, phenylacetic acid, phenylaceturic acid, phenylalaninase, phenylalanine, phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase, phenylamine

Medical definitions for phenylacetic acid

phenylacetic acid
[ fĕn′əl-ə-sē′tĭk, fē′nəl- ]

n.

An abnormal product of phenylalanine catabolism that appears in the urine in phenylketonuria.