Definition

To add one or more groups of carbon and hydrogen atoms to a chemical compound.

Example

Chemists often alkylate compounds to enhance their properties.

Tense Forms

Conversation

I heard you were working on that chemistry project last night.

Yeah, I was trying to figure out how to alkylate the compound we chose.

That sounds complicated! What does it even mean to alkylate something?

It's basically adding alkyl groups to a compound to make it more stable.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Alkylate → It is formed from "alkyl" (from the Arabic *al-kuḥl*, meaning the kohl or black powder, which later evolved in chemistry to refer to a hydrocarbon group) and "-ate" (a suffix used in chemistry to indicate a chemical process). The word "alkylate" means to introduce an alkyl group into a compound, typically in a chemical reaction.

Memory Tip

Think of adding a 'hydrocarbon group' ('alkyl') to a compound, which is what 'alkylate' means in chemistry.

Visually Confused Words