acyl

[as-il, -eel]

adjective Chemistry.

containing the acyl group.

Origin of acyl

1895–1900; < German: an organic radical derived from an acid; see acid, -yl

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for acyl

acyl

noun

(modifier) of, denoting, or containing the monovalent group of atoms RCO-, where R is an organic groupacyl group or radical; acyl substitution

an organometallic compound in which a metal atom is directly bound to an acyl group

Word Origin for acyl

C20: from acid + -yl

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

acyl in Medicine

acyl

[ăs′əl]

n.

A organic radical having the general formula RCO, derived from the removal of a hydroxyl group from an organic acid.

acyl in Science

acyl

[ăs′əl]

An organic compound containing the group RCO, where R is a halogen. Acyls are formed from organic acids by replacing the hydroxyl group (OH) within the carboxyl group (COOH) with a halogen. For example, acetyl chloride (CH3COCl) is formed by replacing the hydroxyl group of acetic acid (CH3COOH) with a chlorine atom. The names of acyls are formed by replacing the suffix -ic of the acid's name with -yl.