LACTAM

Noun

lactam (plural lactams)

(organic chemistry) Any of a class of cyclic amides that are the nitrogen analogs of lactones, formed by heating amino acids; the tautomeric enol forms are known as lactims.

Usage notes

Greek prefixes indicate the ring size e.g. α- 3-membered, β- 4-membered.

Source: Wiktionary


Lac"tam, n. Etym: [Lactone + amido.] (Chem.)

Definition: One of a series of anhydrides of an amido type, analogous to the lactones, as oxindol.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 May 2025

CRITICAL

(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; ā€œa critical readingā€; ā€œa critical dissertationā€; ā€œa critical analysis of Melville’s writingsā€


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Decaffeinated coffee comes from a chemical process that takes out caffeine from the beans. Pharmaceutical and soda companies buy the extracted caffeine.

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