Meaning & use
ketones
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Organic compounds containing a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon atoms, or, in the body, the acidic byproducts produced when fat is broken down for energy instead of glucose.
See it in a sentence
Acetone is one of the simplest ketones used as an industrial solvent.
People on very low-carb diets often test their urine for ketones.
A note on using this word
In organic chemistry ketones are defined by their carbonyl group, but the same word is widely used in health and nutrition to mean the ketone bodies produced during fat metabolism, as in 'ketosis.'
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