methylate
Definition
- Verb:
- To add a methyl group: "methylate" means to introduce one or more methyl groups (CH₃) into a chemical compound, often through a chemical reaction.
- To mix with methanol: In a more specific sense, "methylate" can refer to the process of mixing a substance with methanol (also known as methyl alcohol), especially as a denaturant for ethanol.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- In the laboratory, the chemist will methylate the compound to study its biological effects. (To add a methyl group to the compound.)
- The ethanol was methylated to make it unfit for drinking. (To mix ethanol with methanol for denaturing purposes.)
Advanced Usage
- "Methylated spirits": A common term for denatured alcohol that has been mixed with methanol (and often other additives) to make it toxic or unpleasant to drink, used as a solvent or fuel.
- He cleaned the paintbrush with methylated spirits. (He used denatured alcohol, which is ethanol mixed with methanol, as a cleaning solvent.)
Variants and Related Words
Methylation (noun): the process or result of adding a methyl group to a compound.
- DNA methylation is a key process in gene regulation. (The addition of methyl groups to DNA molecules.)
Methyl (noun): a chemical group (CH₃) derived from methane.
- The methyl group is a common functional group in organic chemistry. (A simple alkyl group.)
Methylator (noun): a substance or agent that causes methylation.
- The enzyme acts as a methylator in the cell. (The enzyme adds methyl groups to other molecules.)
Synonyms
- Alkylate: to add an alkyl group (a broader term that includes methyl groups).
- Denature with methanol: a specific synonym for the second meaning (mixing with methanol).
Phrasal Verbs
- Methylate out: to remove or separate a substance through methylation.
- The impurities were methylated out of the solution. (Impurities were chemically removed by methylation.)
Related Idioms
- Methylated spirit (idiomatic expression): a common household solvent; no figurative idioms exist for "methylate" as a verb.