cetalkonium

C3E1T1A1L1K5O1N1I1U1M3

noun

A form of benzalkonium in which the longer alkyl group is cetyl.

OriginEnglish benzalkonium ← New Latin ammōnium ← Middle English alcofol →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

nouncetalkonium (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA form of benzalkonium in which the longer alkyl group is cetyl.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκῆτος (kêtos)
  2. Latincētus
  3. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  4. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  5. Englishcetyl
  6. Arabicلُبَان (lubān)
  7. Proto-Indo-European*yew-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*yéwos
  9. Proto-Indo-Iranian*yáwas
  10. Sanskritयव (yava)bor.?
  11. Proto-Austronesian*zawa
  12. Proto-Malayo-Polynesian*zawader.?
  13. Old Javanesejawa
  14. Old JavaneseJawi
  15. Javaneseꦗꦮꦶ (jawi)
  16. Arabicجَاوَة (jāwa)
  17. Arabicـِيّ (-iyy)
  18. Arabicجَاوِيّ (jāwiyy)
  19. Arabicلُبَان جَاوِيّ (lubān jāwiyy)
  20. Catalanbenjuí
  21. Middle Frenchbenjoin
  22. Englishbenzoin
  23. Englishbenzo-
  24. Englishbenz-
  25. Englishbenzyl
  26. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  27. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  28. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  29. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  30. Medieval Latinalcoho
  31. Middle Englishalcofol
  32. Englishalc(ohol)
  33. Englishalkyl
  34. New Latinammōnium
  35. Englishammonium
  36. Englishonium
  37. Englishbenzalkonium
  38. Englishcetalkonium

Blend of cetyl + benzalkonium.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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