alkylate

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verb

To add one or more alkyl groups to a compound, especially by reacting with an alkylating agent

OriginEnglish alkyl ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

verbalkylate (third-person singular simple present alkylates, present participle alkylating, simple past and past participle alkylated)

present singular third person alkylates · participle present alkylating · participle past alkylated · past alkylated

  1. chemistryTo add one or more alkyl groups to a compound, especially by reacting with an alkylating agent

Origin

  1. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  2. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  3. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  4. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  5. Medieval Latinalcoho
  6. Middle Englishalcofol
  7. Englishalc(ohol)
  8. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  9. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  10. Englishalkyl
  11. Englishalkylate

From alkyl + -ate.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Malay mengalkil
  • mengalkilto add an alkyl group to a compound
Polish alkilować
  • alkilowaćto add an alkyl group to a compound
Portuguese alquilar
  • alquilarto add an alkyl group to a compound
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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