methylcellulose

M3E1T1H4Y4L1C3E1L1L1U1L1O1S1E1

noun

A white powdery substance, obtained by the methylation of cellulose, that swells in contact with water to form a gel; it has many industrial applications.

OriginEnglish cellulose ← French cellulose ← Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? →
UncommonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounmethylcellulose (plural methylcelluloses)

plural methylcelluloses · alternative methyl cellulose

  1. chemistryA white powdery substance, obtained by the methylation of cellulose, that swells in contact with water to form a gel; it has many industrial applications.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*médʰu
  2. Proto-Hellenic*métʰu
  3. Ancient Greekμέθυ (méthu)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  5. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  6. GermanMethy
  7. Englishmethyl
  8. Englishmethyl-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-
  10. Latincella
  11. Latincellula
  12. Frenchcellule
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
  14. Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
  15. Frenchcellulose
  16. Englishcellulose
  17. Englishmethylcellulose

From methyl- + cellulose.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish metyyliselluloosa
  • metyyliselluloosapowdery substance
Italian metilcellulosa
  • metilcellulosapowdery substance
Romanian metilceluloză
  • metilcelulozăpowdery substance
Spanish melcelulosa
  • melcelulosapowdery substance
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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