mercaptoethanol

M3E1R1C3A1P3T1O1E1T1H4A1N1O1L1

noun

A compound of ethanol with a thiol group, often specifically 2-mercaptoethanol, which is used in various organic chemistry applications including protein denaturation

OriginEnglish ethanol ← German Ethy ← Latin mercurium captāns →
UncommonScrabble 24
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Meanings

nounmercaptoethanol (plural mercaptoethanols)

plural mercaptoethanols

  1. chemistryA compound of ethanol with a thiol group, often specifically 2-mercaptoethanol, which is used in various organic chemistry applications including protein denaturation

Origin

  1. Latinmercurium
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*kapyéti
  4. Proto-Italic*kapjō
  5. Latincapiō
  6. Latincaptō
  7. Latincaptāns
  8. Latinmercurium captāns
  9. Englishmercapto-
  10. GermanEthy
  11. Englishethyl
  12. Englishalcohol
  13. Englishethyl
  14. Englisheth-
  15. Englishethane
  16. Englishalcohol
  17. Englishethanol
  18. Englishmercaptoethanol

From mercapto- + ethanol.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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