Ethyl
/ˈiːθɪl/noun
A univalent hydrocarbon radical found in many organic compounds, especially as part of ethanol and ethyl alcohol.
Did you know?The name ethyl was coined in the 1830s from Greek *aithēr* (“upper air”) and *hylē* (“matter, wood”), reflecting early chemists’ mistaken ideas about alcohol-related compounds.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
aithḗr
“upper air, pure bright sky”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hýlē
“wood, timber; later matter, substance”
1830s
French/English scientific
éthyle
“a newly coined chemical radical name”
19th Century
English
ethyl
“the radical or group derived from ethanol”
Modern English
English
ethyl
“a two-carbon alkyl group found in organic chemistry”