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Definition of "hydroxyl" [hy•drox•yl]

  • The univalent radical or group OH, a characteristic component of bases, certain acids, phenols, alcohols, carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and amphoteric compounds. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hydroxyl" in a sentence
  • "(SIMS), which allowed them to analyze the grains for a compound known as hydroxyl, which can be incorporated into apatite's chemical structure if the mineral crystallizes from magma that contains water."
  • "Many studies have shown that trace gases and pollutants in the lowest level of our atmosphere break down naturally, thanks to molecules called hydroxyl (OH) radicals."
  • "Rather, coal power production and other industrial processes release sulfur dioxide -- the same gas that billows from volcanoes -- that later reacts with atmospheric molecules called hydroxyl radicals to produce sulfates as a byproduct."