dealkylate

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UK[diːˈæɫkɪleɪt]

verb

To remove alkyl groups from (a compound), especially as part of the oil refining process.

OriginEnglish alkylate ← Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

verbdealkylate (third-person singular simple present dealkylates, present participle dealkylating, simple past and past participle dealkylated)

present singular third person dealkylates · participle present dealkylating · participle past dealkylated · past dealkylated

  1. transitivechemistryTo remove alkyl groups from (a compound), especially as part of the oil refining process.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  8. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  9. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  10. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  11. Medieval Latinalcoho
  12. Middle Englishalcofol
  13. Englishalc(ohol)
  14. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  15. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  16. Englishalkyl
  17. Englishalkylate
  18. Englishdealkylate

From de- + alkylate.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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