dimethyl sulfoxide

noun

An organic compound, (CH₃)₂SO, obtained as a byproduct from wood pulp, and is used as a solvent for carrying out chemical reactions and for administering drugs through the skin; also used as a reagent; its polar structure is a resonance hybrid.

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Meanings

noundimethyl sulfoxide (uncountable, abbreviation DMSO)

abbreviation DMSO · alternative dimethyl sulphoxide

  1. uncountablechemistryAn organic compound, (CH₃)₂SO, obtained as a byproduct from wood pulp, and is used as a solvent for carrying out chemical reactions and for administering drugs through the skin; also used as a reagent; its polar structure is a resonance hybrid.
Cite this entry
APA

dimethyl sulfoxide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dimethyl%20sulfoxide

MLA

“dimethyl sulfoxide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dimethyl%20sulfoxide. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dimethyl sulfoxide,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dimethyl%20sulfoxide.

Source: dimethyl sulfoxide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.