n.
A colorless, crystalline compound, COOH·CH2·CHOH·COOH, that occurs naturally in a wide variety of unripe fruit, including apples, cherries, and tomatoes, and is used as a flavoring and in the aging of wine.
[French (acide) malique, from Latin mālum, apple, from Greek mēlon, mālon.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
