Definition

1. Noun:
   • A salt or ester of benzoic acid: In chemistry, "benzoate" refers to any compound formed by the reaction of benzoic acid with a base (forming a salt) or with an alcohol (forming an ester). These compounds are often used as preservatives.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Sodium benzoate is a common food preservative.
  • The chemist synthesized a new methyl benzoate ester in the lab.

Advanced Usage

• "Benzoate of soda": An older, common name for sodium benzoate.
  • The recipe from the 1950s calls for benzoate of soda to preserve the fruit.

Variants and Related Words

• Benzoic acid (n): The parent carboxylic acid from which benzoates are derived.
  • Benzoic acid occurs naturally in some fruits.
• Benzoyl (n): The acyl radical (C₆H₅CO-) related to benzoic acid and its derivatives.
  • Benzoyl peroxide is used in acne medications.

Synonyms

• Salt of benzoic acid: A more descriptive synonym.
• Ester of benzoic acid: A more descriptive synonym for the ester forms.

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Potassium benzoate: A specific benzoate salt used as a preservative.
  • Potassium benzoate is listed in the ingredients.
• Calcium benzoate: A specific benzoate salt.
  • Calcium benzoate is less common in food but has industrial uses.

Noun

1. any salt or ester of benzoic acid