What does tartrate mean?
Tartrate is a specialist chemistry term for a compound derived from tartaric acid, most often one of its salts. In food science and winemaking references, it usually names a particular salt rather than the acid itself: potassium hydrogen tartrate, for example, is known as cream of tartar, while calcium tartrate can occur in wine. The word can also cover esters of tartaric acid in broader chemical usage. Because tartrates bind metal ions and affect acidity, stability, and texture, they appear in discussions of food additives, beverages, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and analytical chemistry. For a general reader, the most useful distinction is that tartaric acid is the parent acid and tartrate is a derivative of it. The term is technical rather than literary, but it is useful when reading ingredient labels, technical specifications, or winemaking resources, where the particular compound matters more than the broader word alone.
nounA chemical compound that is a salt or ester of tartaric acid, especially one of the salts used as food additives or in wine processing.
- A salt of tartaric acid, especially a metal salt used in food, wine, pharmaceutical, or industrial contexts.
- An ester of tartaric acid, particularly one used as a plasticizer or specialized chemical ingredient.
"Food manufacturers use potassium hydrogen tartrate, also known as cream of tartar, to stabilize egg whites and adjust acidity."
"Food manufacturers use potassium hydrogen tartrate, also known as cream of tartar, to stabilize egg whites and adjust acidity."
"Dibutyl tartrate is used as a plasticizer in the manufacture of plastics and other products."
The plural refers to multiple tartrate compounds or to different kinds of tartrate salts.
"Different tartrates can produce different effects on the acidity and stability of a food."
Tartrate is the chemical thread linking cream of tartar, wine stability, and several common food additives.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tartrate come from?
The word was formed in chemical nomenclature from tartar with the suffix -ate, which is used for salts and related acid derivatives. It entered English through French, where the same formation was used. Its closest relatives include tartaric, formed from tartar with the chemical suffix -ic, and tartar, the name associated with the acidic crystalline deposit found in wine.
How tartrate is actually used
The term is chiefly technical and generally unsuitable for literary prose. Specialized texts may use it generically for a salt or ester of tartaric acid, while technical descriptions usually identify the specific compound or metal involved.
Easily confused with tartrate
Tartaric acid is the parent acid, whereas a tartrate is a salt or ester derived from that acid.