methylate

American  

[meth-uh-leyt] / ˈmɛθ əˌleɪt /

noun

1. Also called methoxide.  any derivative of methyl alcohol, as sodium methylate, CH 3 ONa.

2. any compound containing the methyl group.

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verb (used with object)

methylated, methylating

1. (in a compound) to replace (one or more hydrogen atoms) with the methyl group.

2. to mix with methyl alcohol, as in the denaturation of ethyl alcohol.

methylate British  

/ ˈmɛθɪˌleɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to mix with methanol

2. to undergo or cause to undergo a chemical reaction in which a methyl group is introduced into a molecule

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noun

1. another name for methoxide

methylate Scientific  

/ mĕth′ə-lāt′ /

1. An organic compound having the general formula CH ₃ OR, in which R is a metal. Methylates are formed by replacing the hydrogen of the hydroxyl group (OH) of methyl alcohol with a metal.

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1. To combine with the methyl radical.

Other Word Forms

• methylation noun
• methylator noun
• unmethylated adjective

Etymology

Origin of methylate

First recorded in 1825–35; methyl- + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

RBPs methylate miRNA to inhibit its function and thus stop mRNA degradation.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Last night, however, I managed to secure and methylate a good-sized scorpion.

From Australia Twice Traversed, Illustrated, by Giles, Ernest

The latter is then made to methylate a product, aniline, derived indirectly from coal-tar.

From Coal and What We Get from It by Meldola, Raphael

The preliminary experiments showed that condensation with sodium methylate takes a long time and gives a product which it is difficult to handle in large quantities.

From Organic Syntheses by Conant, James Bryant

They form unstable addition products with sodium ethylate or methylate.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various