methoxy
|meth-ox-y|
🇺🇸
/ˈmɛθəksi/
🇬🇧
/ˈmɛθɒksi/
–OCH3 substituent / methyl–oxygen group
Etymology
'methoxy' originates from the chemical combining forms 'methyl' + 'oxy' (the latter from Greek 'oxys', originally meaning 'sharp' but used in chemistry as a combining form related to oxygen).
'methoxy' was formed in 19th-century chemical nomenclature by combining 'methyl' and the combining form 'oxy'; earlier related terms included 'methoxyl' (used for the radical) and the prefix 'methoxy-' before stabilizing as the modern term 'methoxy'.
Initially it could refer to the 'methoxyl radical' or the idea of a methyl-derived oxygen fragment, but it has come to be used primarily for the substituent (–OCH3) or as a prefix indicating that substituent.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a functional group in organic chemistry consisting of an OCH3 substituent; often written as '–OCH3' and called a methoxy group.
The compound contains a methoxy group at the para position.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
containing or bearing a methoxy group; used in compound names as a prefix (e.g., 3-methoxybenzaldehyde).
3-methoxybenzaldehyde is an aromatic aldehyde with a methoxy substituent.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/07 14:43