Pertaining to, or designating, an acid, obtained as a white crystalline substance by the partial oxidation of mesitylene.
Structure: CH3C6H3(CO2H)2
Synonym: mesitic acid.
Origin: From L. Uva a grape. So called because it may be produced indirectly from tartaric acid, which is found in the grape.
Source: Websters Dictionary
(01 Mar 1998)