Glycollide

/ɡlaɪˈkɑːlaɪd/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound formed from glycollic acid, sometimes used in biodegradable polymers and medical applications like stitches.

Etymology

From 'glycoll-' + '-ide' (chemistry suffix for compounds). This term emerged as synthetic chemists created derivatives of glycollic acid in the 20th century.

Kelly Says

Glycollide is the base material in some medical stitches that your body naturally absorbs over time—instead of having a doctor remove them, they just dissolve as you heal!

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