a. [ Meso- + tartaric. ] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid called also inactive tartaric acid. It is an optically inactive stereoisomer of tartaric acid due to internal compensation of the rotatory activity of the two asymmetric centers; it has a plane of symmetry in the molecule. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. [ Pyro- + tartaric. ] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid obtained as a white crystalline substance by the distillation of tartaric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pyro- + tri- + tartaric. ] (Chem.) Designating an acid which is more commonly called uric acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Of or pertaining to Tartary in Asia, or the Tartars. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tartarian lamb (Bot.), Scythian lamb. See Barometz. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to tartar; derived from, or resembling, tartar. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tartaric acid. (a) An acid widely diffused throughout the vegetable kingdom, as in grapes, mountain-ash berries, etc., and obtained from tartar as a white crystalline substance, C2H2(OH)2.(CO2H)2, having a strong pure acid taste. It is used in medicine, in dyeing, calico printing, photography, etc., and also as a substitute for lemon juice. Called also dextro-tartaric acid. (b) By extension, any one of the series of isomeric acids (racemic acid, levotartaric acid, inactive tartaric acid) of which tartaric acid proper is the type. [ 1913 Webster ]