In chemistry, a radical or group of atoms derived from butyric acid, used in the formation of various organic compounds.
From butyr- (butter-related, from Latin butyrum) + -yl (chemistry suffix denoting a radical or organic group). Used to name functional groups in organic molecules.
The -yl suffix in chemistry is borrowed from alcohol—it's how chemists build a naming system for molecular pieces, so butyryl is essentially 'the butter-related atomic group' waiting to attach to something else.
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