methyl acetate

American

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless, flammable, volatile liquid, C 3 H 6 O 2 , the methyl ester of acetic acid, having a fragrant odor, used chiefly as a solvent.

methyl acetate British

noun

a colourless volatile flammable liquid ester with a fragrant odour, used as a solvent, esp in paint removers. Formula: CH 3 COOCH 3

"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

Etymology

Origin of methyl acetate

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

Officials told FOX 4 of Dallas/Fort Worth that the chemicals involved in the incident were methyl iodide, hydrogen iodide, and methyl acetate.

From Fox News

If an aqueous solution of methyl acetate be allowed to stand, a slow decomposition goes on.

From Project Gutenberg

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