methyl

¹

[ meth-uhl ]

adjective

, Chemistry.

1. containing the methyl group. : Me

methyl-

²

1. a combining form occurring in the names of chemical compounds in which the methyl group is present:

   methylamine.

methyl

/ ˈmiːθaɪl; ˈmɛθɪl; məˈθɪlɪk /

noun

1. modifier of, consisting of, or containing the monovalent group of atoms CH 3
2. an organometallic compound in which methyl groups are bound directly to a metal atom

methyl

/ mĕth′əl /

1. The radical CH 3 , derived from methane.

Derived Forms

• methylic, adjective

Other Words From

• me·thyl·ic [me-, thil, -ik, m, uh, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of methyl¹

First recorded in 1835–45; by back formation from methylene

Word History and Origins

Origin of methyl¹

C19: from French méthyle, back formation from methylene

Example Sentences

So can the antifungal herbal oils in Listerine: eucalyptol, menthol, methyl salicylate and thymol.

From Seattle Times

DNA methylation is a process whereby methyl groups are added to the DNA strand.

From Science Daily

This is why RNA-methylation needs to be tightly controlled, taken care of by a set of proteins: "writers" deposit, "readers" recognize and "erasers" remove the methyl group.

From Science Daily

Use of the gas surged after sales of another fumigant called methyl bromide were sharply curtailed because of the harm it caused to the ozone layer.

From Los Angeles Times

In the paper, "Methyl Termination of p-Type Silicon Enables Selective Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction by a Molecular Ruthenium Catalyst," published in ACS Energy Letters, the researchers explain how they use a process called methyl termination that uses a simple organic compound of one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms to modify the surface of silicon, an essential component in solar cells, to improve its performance in converting carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide using sunlight.

From Science Daily