methylene

[ meth-uh-leen ]
/ ˈmɛθ əˌlin /

adjective Chemistry.

containing the methylene group.

Origin of methylene

< French méthylène (coined in 1834), equivalent to Greek méth(y) wine (see mead1) + hýl(ē) wood + French -ène -ene, taken to mean “wood-spirits” ( vin ou liqueur spiritueuse du bois), though elements of the compound are in the wrong order to give this sense

Words nearby methylene

methylbenzyl acetate, methylcatechol, methylcellulose, methylcyclohexanol, methyldopa, methylene, methylene azure, methylene blue, methylene chloride, methylene dioxyamphetamine, methylene group

Example sentences from the Web for methylene

British Dictionary definitions for methylene

methylene
/ (ˈmɛθɪˌliːn) /

noun

(modifier) of, consisting of, or containing the divalent group of atoms =CH 2 a methylene group or radical

Word Origin for methylene

C19: from French méthylène, from Greek methu wine + hulē wood + -ene : originally referring to a substance distilled from wood

Medical definitions for methylene

methylene
[ mĕth′ə-lēn′ ]

n.

A bivalent hydrocarbon radical, CH2, that is a component of unsaturated hydrocarbons and is derived from methane by the removal of two hydrogen atoms.

Scientific definitions for methylene

methylene
[ mĕth′ə-lēn′ ]

A bivalent hydrocarbon radical, CH2. Because it has two unshared electrons, it is extremely reactive and occurs only as an intermediate byproduct in chemical reactions. Methylene is a component of unsaturated hydrocarbons.