hydroxyl

H4Y4D2R1O1X8Y4L1

noun

A univalent radical or functional group (–OH) in organic chemistry; present in alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids and certain other classes of compounds.

Similar
hydroxyl grouphydroxyl radical
OriginAncient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē) ← Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? ← English oxygen →
Less commonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounhydroxyl (plural hydroxyls)

plural hydroxyls

  1. chemistryA univalent radical or functional group (–OH) in organic chemistry; present in alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids and certain other classes of compounds.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe monovalent group -OH in such compounds as bases and some acids and alcohols

Similar
hydroxyl grouphydroxyl radical
Broader
groupradicalchemical group

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*wed-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wódr̥
  3. Proto-Hellenic*údōr
  4. Ancient Greekῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr)
  5. Ancient Greekὑδρο- (hudro-)
  6. Frenchhydro-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*ǵenh₁-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*ǵénh₁os
  9. Proto-Hellenic*génos
  10. Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
  11. Frenchhydrogène
  12. Englishhydrogen
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-der.?
  14. Ancient Greekὀξύς (oxús)
  15. Ancient Greekγένος (génos)
  16. Frenchoxygène
  17. Englishoxygen
  18. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  19. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  20. Englishhydroxyl

From a blend of hydrogen + oxygen + -yl.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian хидроксил
  • хидроксил (hidroksil)-OH
Catalan hidroxil
  • hidroxil-OH
Chinese Cantonese 羥基 /羟基, 氫氧基 /氢氧基
  • 羥基 /羟基 (koeng⁵ gei¹)-OH
  • 氫氧基 /氢氧基 (hing¹ joeng⁵ gei¹)-OH
Chinese Mandarin 羥基 /羟基, 氫氧基 /氢氧基
  • 羥基 /羟基 (qiǎngjī)-OH
  • 氫氧基 /氢氧基 (qīngyǎngjī)-OH
Finnish hydroksyyli
  • hydroksyyli-OH
French hydroxyle
  • hydroxyle-OH
German Hydroxyl
  • Hydroxyl-OH
Greek υδροξύλιο
  • υδροξύλιο (ydroxýlio)-OH
Hindi उदजारल
  • उदजारल (udjāral)-OH
Italian ossidrile, idrossile
  • ossidrile-OH
  • idrossile-OH
Japanese ヒドロキシル基, 水酸基
  • ヒドロキシル基 (hidorokishiru-ki)-OH
  • 水酸基 (suisanki)-OH
Korean 히드록시기, 수산기
  • 히드록시기 (hideuroksigi)-OH
  • 수산기 (susan'gi)-OH
  • 히드록실기 (hideuroksilgi)-OH
Lithuanian hidroksilas
  • hidroksilas-OH
Malay hidroksil
  • hidroksil-OH
Persian هیدروکسیل
  • هیدروکسیل (hidroksil)-OH
Polish hydroksyl
  • hydroksyl-OH
Portuguese hidroxila
  • hidroxila-OH
Russian гидрокси́л
  • гидрокси́л (gidroksíl)-OH
Spanish hidroxilo, oxhidrilo
  • hidroxilo-OH
  • oxhidrilo-OH
Swedish hydroxyl, hydroxylgrupp
  • hydroxyl-OH
  • hydroxylgrupp-OH
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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