methylene
/ˈmɛθɪliːn/ noun
Forms methylenes
- noun (organic chemistry) The divalent group –CH₂– in which the free valencies are part of single bonds.
- noun (organic chemistry) The same group, present as a repeating unit, in aliphatic compounds with names such as hexamethylenediamine.
- noun (organic chemistry) The unstable carbene :CH₂
Synonyms
Etymology
French méthylène, from Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu, “wine”) + ὕλη (húlē, “wood”). By surface analysis, meth- + -ylene.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A hydrocarbon radical, CH2, not known in the free state, but regarded as an essential residue and component of certain derivatives of methane; as, methylene bromide, CH2Br2; --formerly called also methene. Methylene blue (Chem.), an artificial dyestuff consisting of a complex sulphur derivative of diphenyl amine; --called also pure blue.
Etymology [F. méthylène, from Gr. wood spirit.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “methylene”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details