alkylator

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noun

An alkylating agent, especially one that alkylates a nucleic acid

OriginEnglish alkylate ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounalkylator (plural alkylators)

plural alkylators

  1. chemistryAn alkylating agent, especially one that alkylates a nucleic acid

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
  12. Englishalkylator

From alkylate + -or.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Portuguese alquilante
  • alquilantean alkylating agent
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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