acetonitrile

A1C3E1T1O1N1I1T1R1I1L1E1

noun

The simplest organic cyanide or nitrile, CH₃CN, formally derived from acetic acid

Similar
cyanomethanemethyl cyanideethanenitrileethyl nitrilemethanecarbonitrile
OriginEnglish nitrile ← Latin acētum ← Proto-Italic *akēō →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounacetonitrile (plural acetonitriles)

plural acetonitriles

  1. chemistryThe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile, CH₃CN, formally derived from acetic acid

    Synonyms: cyanomethane, methyl cyanide, ethanenitrile, ethyl nitrile, methanecarbonitrile

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile, CH₃CN, formally derived from acetic acid

Similar
cyanomethanemethyl cyanideethanenitrileethyl nitrilemethanecarbonitrile
Also see
ethanenitrile

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱéh₁yeti
  3. Proto-Italic*akēō
  4. Latinaceō
  5. Latinacēscō
  6. Latinacētum
  7. Englishaceto-
  8. Englishbenzonitrileclip.
  9. Englishnitrile
  10. Englishacetonitrile

From aceto- + nitrile.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 乙腈
  • 乙腈 (yǐjīng)the simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Finnish asetonitriili
  • asetonitriilithe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
German Acetonitril
  • Acetonitrilthe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Indonesian asetonitril
  • asetonitrilthe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Italian acetonitrile
  • acetonitrilethe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Japanese アセトニトリル
  • アセトニトリル (asetonitoriru)the simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Persian استونیتریل
  • استونیتریلthe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Portuguese acetonitrila
  • acetonitrilathe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Spanish acetonitrilo
  • acetonitrilothe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Turkish asetonitril
  • asetonitrilthe simplest organic cyanide or nitrile
Cite this entry
APA

acetonitrile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acetonitrile

MLA

“acetonitrile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acetonitrile. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “acetonitrile,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/acetonitrile.

Source: acetonitrile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.