Tartrate
/ˈtɑːr.treɪt/noun
A salt or ester of tartaric acid.
Did you know?Tartrates can crystallize naturally from wine as potassium bitartrate, historically mistaken for sediment or a flaw before modern chemistry explained them.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
tártaros
“A hard deposit or crust; the deeper origin is uncertain, though it became associated with tartar.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
tartarum
“Tartar, especially the crystalline deposit formed in wine vessels.”
Medieval Period
Old French
tartre
“Tartar; a deposit or incrustation.”
17th Century
English
tartar
“A deposit from wine, later also used for dental calculus.”
19th Century
Scientific English
tartrate
“A salt or ester derived from tartaric acid.”