semisystematic name

A name of a chemical of which at least one part is systematic and at least one part is not ( i.e., is trivial). For example, calciferol includes the -ol suffix denoting an —OH radical, while calcifer-, which has no systematic meaning, is used only in this word. Cortisone contains the -one suffix, indicating a ketone group, but the rest of the term derives from cortex (adrenal). Hippuric acid (trivial) may be defined as N-benzoylglycine (semitrivial name); benzoyl is systematic for the C₆H₅–CO– radical, whereas glycine is the trivial name for α-aminoacetic (or 2-aminoethanoic, to be completely systematic) acid, and the N signifies that the benzoyl is attached to the nitrogen of glycine; from this, the structure C₆H₅–CO–NH–CH₂–COOH is uniquely defined. Many generic or nonproprietary name s of drugs, including USAN names, hormones, etc., are semitrivial in this chemical sense, although often termed trivial name s; distinction between trivial and semitrivial is not often made. SYN: semitrivial name.