A chemical radical or group consisting of ten carbon atoms with a single bonding point, used in organic chemistry.
From Latin decem (ten) + -yl (a suffix indicating a chemical radical derived from a hydrocarbon). The term was coined in 19th-century chemistry to systematically name hydrocarbon groups.
Chemists use -yl endings to build molecule names like building blocks—'decenyl' tells you exactly 'ten carbons in a row with one free connection,' which is why chemistry can sound like an alien language!
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