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Showing results for alkyl. Search instead for arylalkyl.

alkyl

American  
[al-kuhl] / ˈæl kəl /

adjective

  1. containing an alkyl group.


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

"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 /
  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.


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.

See Examples For:

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

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

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

Write the structures for all the isomers of the –C5H11 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

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