Describing a chemical compound that has two methyl groups (CH₃ groups) attached to it.
From di- (two) + methyl (from methyl alcohol or methane). Methyl itself comes from Greek methy (wine) + hyle (wood), originally referring to wood alcohol.
Dimethyl is one of chemistry's most common prefixes—it's so frequently used that chemists practically invented shorthand just to avoid saying 'two methyl groups' hundreds of times a day.
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