phthalate
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phthal·ate
(thăl′āt′, fthăl′-, thā′lāt′, fthā′-)n.
1. A salt, ester, or anion of phthalic acid.
2. Any of a group of esters of phthalic acid that are widely used in the manufacture of plastics and as synthetic additives in perfumes and cosmetics. These chemicals have been linked to reproductive and hormonal abnormalities in animals, including humans.
[phthal(ic acid) + -ate.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
phthalate
(ˈθælɪt; ˈfθæl-)n
(Chemistry) a salt or ester of phthalic acid. Esters are commonly used as plasticizers in PVC; when ingested they can cause kidney and liver damage
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014