The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. A readily polymerized amide, C3H5NO, derived from acrylic acid and used in synthetic fibers and sewage treatment. It is a carcinogen and is present in some foods, especially starches and cereals that are cooked at high temperatures.
n. The amide of acrylic acid, CH2=CH.CONH2; used in the manufacture of polyacrylamides.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a white crystalline amide of propenoic acid can damage the nervous system and is carcinogenic in laboratory animals
Word Usage
"American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute confirmed that there is no link between long-term acrylamide intake and breast cancer."