Meanings
nounhydroxyethyl (plural hydroxyethyls)
plural hydroxyethyls
- especiallyin compoundschemistryThe univalent radical HO-CH₂-CH₂- derived from ethylene glycol
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*wed-
- Proto-Indo-European*wódr̥
- Proto-Hellenic*údōr
- Ancient Greekῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr)
- Ancient Greekὑδρο- (hudro-)
- Frenchhydro-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁os
- Proto-Hellenic*génos
- Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
- Frenchhydrogène
- Englishhydrogen
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-der.?
- Ancient Greekὀξύς (oxús)
- Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
- Frenchoxygène
- Englishoxygen
- Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
- Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
- Englishhydroxyl
- Englishhydroxy-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eydʰ-
- Proto-Hellenic*áitʰō
- Ancient Greekαἴθω (aíthō)
- Ancient Greekᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.?
- Ancient Greekαἰθήρ (aithḗr)
- Latinaethēr
- GermanÄther
- GermanEther
- Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
- GermanEthy
- Englishethyl
- Englishhydroxyethyl
From hydroxy- + ethyl.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
hydroxyethyl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydroxyethyl
MLA
“hydroxyethyl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydroxyethyl. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydroxyethyl,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydroxyethyl.
Source: hydroxyethyl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.