mesityl oxide

[ mez-i-til, mes- ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. an oily, colorless liquid, C 6 H 1 0 O, having a honeylike odor: used chiefly as a solvent and in the manufacture of synthetic organic compounds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mesityl oxide¹

1870–75; mesityl < New Latin mesīt ( a ) (< Greek mesī́tēs mediator, go-between, equivalent to mes- mes- + -ītēs -ite ¹ ) + -yl