Alkylarylsulfonate

/ˌælkaɪlˌɛɹɪlˈsʌlfəˌneɪt/ noun

Definition

A chemical compound containing an alkyl group, an aryl group (aromatic ring), and a sulfonate group, commonly used in detergents and cleaning products.

Etymology

A systematic compound name combining 'alkyl' (hydrocarbon chain), 'aryl' (benzene ring-derived), and 'sulfonate' (sulfur-oxygen compound). Reflects 20th-century chemical nomenclature practices.

Kelly Says

Alkylarylsulfonates are the active ingredients in many laundry detergents—the alkyl chain grabs oily stains while the sulfonate part makes it dissolve in water. The fancy name hides an elegant solution to the problem of washing clothes!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.