mercaptan

[ mer-kap-tan ]

nounChemistry.
  1. any of a class of sulfur-containing compounds having the type formula RSH, in which R represents a radical, and having an extremely offensive, garlicky odor.

Origin of mercaptan

1
1825–35; <Latin, short for phrase corpus mercurium captāns body capturing quicksilver

Words Nearby mercaptan

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How to use mercaptan in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mercaptan

mercaptan

/ (mɜːˈkæptæn) /


noun
  1. another name (not in technical usage) for thiol

Origin of mercaptan

1
C19: from German, from Medieval Latin mercurium captans, literally: seizing quicksilver

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for mercaptan

mercaptan

[ mər-kăptăn′ ]


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