Cyanoacetate

/ˌsaɪ.ə.noʊˈæs.ə.teɪt/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound containing both a cyanide group and an acetate group, used in organic synthesis and laboratory reactions.

Etymology

From cyano- (cyanide group) + acetate (salt of acetic acid, from Latin acetum 'vinegar'). Combined in chemical nomenclature to describe molecules containing both functional groups.

Kelly Says

Cyanoacetate is a workhorse in organic chemistry labs—it's incredibly useful because the cyanide group makes it super reactive, allowing chemists to build more complex molecules step by step.

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