3-Me-
|three-meth-yl|
/ˌθriːˈmɛθəl/
methyl substituent at position 3
Etymology
'3-Me-' originates from modern chemical nomenclature (IUPAC) in English, specifically combining the numeric locant '3-' with the abbreviation 'Me' meaning 'methyl'.
'Me' is an abbreviation of 'methyl', which itself comes from New Latin/French 'methyl(‑)', coined in the 19th century and ultimately derived from Greek roots 'methy' (meaning 'wine') and 'hylē' (meaning 'wood' or 'matter'); the numeric locant system ('3-') developed as structural organic nomenclature standardized, producing forms like '3-methyl' and the shorthand '3-Me-'.
Initially, 'methyl' named a radical or group derived from methanol and had linguistic roots referring to substances like 'wine' or 'wood'; over time it became the technical term for the –CH3 group, and 'Me' became the conventional abbreviation used in structural names and shorthand notations such as '3-Me-'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the methyl substituent located at position 3 of a molecule (informal/abbreviated notation).
The 3-Me- on that benzene derivative greatly alters its polarity compared with the unsubstituted parent.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
used in chemical nomenclature as a prefix indicating that a methyl (–CH3) substituent is attached at the 3 position of the parent structure (e.g., 3-Me-phenol).
In the IUPAC name 3-Me-phenol, the '3-Me-' specifies a methyl group at carbon 3 of the ring.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/06 13:23