1827, "salt formed by combining acetic acid with a base," from Latin acetum "vinegar" (see acetic) + chemical suffix -ate (3). As a type of synthetic material, it is attested from 1920, short for acetate silk, etc.
acerbity
acervate
acervulus
acescent
acetaminophen
acetate
acetic
acetification
aceto-
acetone
acetylene