Definition

A chemical compound that is a salt or an ester derived from maleic acid.

Example

The laboratory synthesized a maleate for their experiment.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of maleate?

I think so, but I'm not sure what it is exactly.

It's actually a salt or an ester of maleic acid.

Oh, that makes sense! I should look it up to learn more.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Maleate is derived from 'maleic' (from Latin 'malus', meaning bad or evil) and the suffix '-ate' (indicating a chemical compound). The term refers to a chemical compound derived from maleic acid, which is associated with the 'bad' or 'evil' properties of certain organic compounds.

Memory Tip

Think of 'maleic' as relating to something 'bad' or 'evil', and remember that 'maleate' refers to a compound derived from that context.

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