1. Plural of carboxyl; functional groups consisting of a carbon atom bonded to an oxygen atom and a hydroxyl group, found in organic acids and amino acids.
Usage: chemistry; technical

Examples

• Amino acids contain both amino and carboxyls groups in their structure.
• The carboxyls in fatty acids make them acidic.
• Proteins are formed when carboxyls of one amino acid bond with amino groups of another.
• The carboxyls functional group is denoted as -COOH in chemical formulas.
• Many organic compounds contain multiple carboxyls groups.