təˈkäfəˌrȯl, -rōl noun
( -s )
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary toco- + -pher + -ol
: any of several pale yellow fat-soluble oily liquid phenolic compounds that are derived from chroman and differ in the number and locations of methyl groups in the benzene ring, that have antioxidant properties and vitamin E activity in varying degrees, that are found in the dextrorotatory form especially in oils from seeds (as wheat-germ oil and cottonseed oil), in leaves, and in fish-liver oils, that are made synthetically in the racemic form, and that are used in a mixture chiefly as antioxidants (as for stabilizing vitamin A in fats and oils) and in nutrition and veterinary medicine: as
a. : the compound C 29 H 50 O 2 obtained usually from germ oils or by synthesis (as from trimethyl-hydroquinone and phytyl bromide) and often used in the form of its acetate or other esters — called also alpha-tocopherol, vitamin E
b. : a compound C 28 H 48 O 2 occurring usually with alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol — called also beta-tocopherol
c. : a compound C 28 H 48 O 2 isomeric with beta-tocopherol and occurring with it and alpha-tocopherol and predominating in corn oil and with delta-tocopherol in soybean oil — called also gamma-tocopherol
d. : a compound C 27 H 46 O 2 said to have the highest antioxidant activity of the tocopherols and found with the others but especially in soybean oil — called also delta-tocopherol