alkyl

American  

[al-kuhl] / ˈæl kəl /

adjective

1. containing an alkyl group.

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noun

1. an alkyl group.

alkyl British  

/ ˈælkɪl /

noun

1. (modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the monovalent group C n H 2n+1

   alkyl group or radical

2. an organometallic compound, such as tetraethyl lead, containing an alkyl group bound to a metal atom

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alkyl Scientific  

/ ăl′kəl /

1. A radical that has the general formula C _n H _{2n + 1}, formed by removing a hydrogen atom from an alkane. Ethyl and propyl are alkyls.

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Etymology

Origin of alkyl

1880–85; < German, equivalent to Alk ( ohol ) alcohol + -yl -yl

Example Sentences

Although alkyl ketones are far more common, they are also naturally harder to reduce than their aryl counterparts.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

With this challenge in mind, a team of organic and computational chemists at WPI-ICReDD at Hokkaido University has developed a catalytic strategy that finally enables the formation of alkyl ketyl radicals.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

The method involves combining three chemicals: an amine "head," two alkyl epoxide "tails" and, finally, two acyl chloride "branched tails."

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

We call a substituent that contains one less hydrogen than the corresponding alkane an alkyl group.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

The second major group of insecticides, the alkyl or organic phosphates, are among the most poisonous chemicals in the world.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson