cetyl

C3E1T1Y4L1

noun

The univalent hexadecyl radical C₁₆H₃₃- present in many waxes.

OriginAncient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? ← Latin cētus →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nouncetyl (plural cetyls)

plural cetyls

  1. chemistryThe univalent hexadecyl radical C₁₆H₃₃- present in many waxes.

    1997, David M. Hawcroft, The Basics: Electrophoresis, IRL Press, Oxford University Press, page 30, Other detergents are available, including alternative ionic forms (such as the cetyls) for cleaving nucleic acid-protein bonds.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκῆτος (kêtos)
  2. Latincētus
  3. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  4. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  5. Englishcetyl

From Latin cētus (“whale”) + English -yl.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

clyte
Cite this entry
APA

cetyl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cetyl

MLA

“cetyl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cetyl. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cetyl,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cetyl.

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