Butenyl

/bjuːˈteniːl/ noun

Definition

In chemistry, a group or radical derived from butene, used in naming organic compounds.

Etymology

From 'butene' plus '-yl', a chemical suffix indicating a radical or group (similar to methyl, ethyl, propyl). The '-yl' suffix comes from Greek 'hyle' meaning wood or matter.

Kelly Says

The '-yl' suffix is chemistry's way of saying 'a piece of this molecule detached and ready to attach to something else.' Chemists built an entire naming language from a few Greek roots.

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