alkanofer

A1L1K5A1N1O1F4E1R1

noun

A subsurface reservoir of liquid hydrocarbons

OriginProto-Indo-European *bʰorós ← English alkane ← German Alkan →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounalkanofer (plural alkanofers)

plural alkanofers

  1. A subsurface reservoir of liquid hydrocarbons

    In order to explain this apparent ethane deficiency, we explore the possibility that Ligeia Mare is the visible part of an alkanofer that interacted with an underlying clathrate layer and investigate the influence of this interaction on an assumed initial ethane-methane mixture in the liquid phase.

    2015, Olivier Mousis, Jonathan I. Lunine, Alexander G. Hayes, Jason D. Hofgartner, “The fate of ethane in Titan's hydrocarbon lakes and seas”, in arXiv

Origin

  1. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  2. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  3. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  4. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  5. Medieval Latinalcoho
  6. GermanAlk(ohol)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  8. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  9. GermanAlkyl
  10. Germanalk-
  11. GermanAlkan
  12. Englishalkane
  13. Proto-Indo-European*bʰer-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*bʰorós
  15. Englishalkanofer

From alkane + -o- (linking vowel) + -fer.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

alkanofer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alkanofer

MLA

“alkanofer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alkanofer. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alkanofer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alkanofer.

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