Plural of acrolein; toxic chemical compounds with a sharp smell produced when fats burn at high temperatures.
From acrolein (1843), a blend of 'acrid' and the chemical suffix '-ol' + '-in'. The name describes the acrid or sharp-smelling nature of this volatile organic compound discovered during fat oxidation.
Acrolein is what makes your eyes water when you accidentally burn cooking oil—it's literally in tear gas, which is why your kitchen smells like chemical warfare when something scorches on the stove!
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