Relating to or containing an acetyl group, which is a chemical fragment derived from acetic acid.
From acetyl + -ic (suffix meaning 'of or relating to'). This adjectival form appeared as chemists needed to describe the properties of acetyl-containing molecules in the 1800s.
The word 'acetylic' is chemistry's way of saying 'has an acetyl group attached'—similar to how we might say 'a house is wooden' meaning it's made of wood, an acetylic molecule has an acetyl group stuck to it.
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