A five-membered cyclic ester with a four-carbon main chain; a type of lactone used in solvents and pharmaceuticals.
From 'butano-' (four carbons) combined with '-lide,' indicating a cyclic ester or lactone. Named in systematic organic chemistry nomenclature.
The spelling difference between 'butanolid' and 'butanolide' reflects how chemical nomenclature evolved—different sources used different conventions until systematic IUPAC naming standardized everything.
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