methylate

[ meth-uh-leyt ]

noun
  1. Also called methoxide. any derivative of methyl alcohol, as sodium methylate, CH3ONa.

  2. any compound containing the methyl group.

verb (used with object),meth·yl·at·ed, meth·yl·at·ing.
  1. (in a compound) to replace (one or more hydrogen atoms) with the methyl group.

  2. to mix with methyl alcohol, as in the denaturation of ethyl alcohol.

Origin of methylate

1
First recorded in 1825–35; methyl- + -ate1

Other words from methylate

  • meth·yl·a·tor, noun
  • un·meth·yl·at·ed, adjective

Words Nearby methylate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use methylate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for methylate

methylate

/ (ˈmɛθɪˌleɪt) /


verb
  1. (tr) to mix with methanol

  2. to undergo or cause to undergo a chemical reaction in which a methyl group is introduced into a molecule

noun
  1. another name for methoxide

Derived forms of methylate

  • methylation, noun
  • methylator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for methylate

methylate

[ mĕthə-lāt′ ]


Noun
  1. An organic compound having the general formula CH3OR, in which R is a metal. Methylates are formed by replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group (OH) of methyl alcohol with a metal.

Verb
  1. To combine with the methyl radical.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.