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Definition: -YL

Part of Speech Definition
Expression 1. A suffix used as a characteristic termination of chemical radicals; as in ethyl, carbonyl, hydroxyl, etc.[Websters].

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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Extended Definition: -YL

-yl

The suffix -yl is used in organic chemistry to form names of radicals, either separate or as chemically bonded parts of molecules. It was extracted from the word methyl, whose etymology is described in Methanol#History.

If there is an organic chemical called "X-ic acid", which has an acidic -OH group, "X-yl" often means the radical formed by removing that -OH group: see acyl.

Sometimes words ending in -yl are used with other meanings as a result of ellipsis, for example "vinyl" properly means the monomer radical -CH=CH2, but "vinyl" is often used as short for the polymer poly(vinyl chloride).

Organic Chemistry Affixes
Carbon-based
-ane (alkane) · -ene (alkene) · -ine (unsaturated hydrocarbon) · -yne (alkyne) · alk- (saturated hydrocarbon) · ar- (aromatic)
Oxygen-based
-al (aldehyde) · -oate (ester) · -oic acid (carboxylic acid) · -ol (alcohol) · -one (ketone) · -ose (sugar)
Nitrogen-based
-ine (alkaloid) · aza- (N replaces C)
Sulfur-based
thio- (extra S)
Other
-ase (enzyme)  · -yl (radical) · nor- (no residues)
  • For more information, see IUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistry.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "-yl". Image Credit.
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Topics by Level of Interest: -YL

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-yl 5     -yl 5

Source: the editor, created by/for EVE to gauge likely levels of human interest in linguistically triggered topics (compiled across various sources, such as Wikipedia and specialty expression glosses).