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alkyl

American

[al-kuhl] / ˈæl kəl /

adjective

containing an alkyl group.

noun

an alkyl group.

alkyl British

/ ˈælkɪl /

noun

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

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

"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

alkyl Scientific

/ ăl′kəl /

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.

Etymology

Origin of alkyl

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their data indicated that alkyl ketyl radicals did form briefly.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

These radicals are highly useful intermediates in natural product synthesis and pharmaceutical research, but most available techniques are designed for aryl ketones rather than simpler alkyl ketones.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

In this study, the research team employed an alkyl ammonium iodide-based ligand exchange strategy, effectively substituting ligands for organic PQDs with excellent solar utilization.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2024

The name of an alkyl group is obtained by dropping the suffix -ane of the alkane name and adding -yl:

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023