Standard Lemma guide

hydroxyl

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A univalent radical or functional group (–OH) in organic chemistry; present in alcohols, phenols, carboxylic acids and certain other classes of compounds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the monovalent group -OH in such compounds as bases and some acids and alcohols

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hydroxyl group, hydroxyl radical

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group, radical, chemical group

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ Proto-Hellenic *údōr Ancient Greek ῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr) Ancient Greek ὑδρο- (hudro-)lbor. French hydro- Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh1- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh1os Proto-Hellenic *génos Ancient Greek γένος (génos) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ēs Ancient Greek -ης (-ēs) Ancient Greek -γενής (-genḗs)lbor. French -gène French hydrogènebor. English hydrogen Proto-Indo-European *h2eḱ-der.? Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús) ▲ Ancient Greek γένος (génos) French oxygènebor. English oxygen Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. Frenchder. English -yl blend English hydroxyl From a blend of hydrogen + oxygen + -yl.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: հիդրօքսիլ (hidrōkʻsil) — -OH
  • Bulgarian: хидроксил (hidroksil) — -OH
  • Catalan: hidroxil — -OH
  • Chinese Cantonese: 羥基 /羟基 (koeng5 gei1) — -OH
  • Chinese Cantonese: 氫氧基 /氢氧基 (hing1 joeng5 gei1) — -OH
  • Chinese Mandarin: 羥基 /羟基 (qiǎngjī) — -OH
  • Chinese Mandarin: 氫氧基 /氢氧基 (qīngyǎngjī) — -OH
  • Finnish: hydroksyyli — -OH
  • French: hydroxyle — -OH
  • German: Hydroxyl — -OH
  • Greek: υδροξύλιο (ydroxýlio) — -OH
  • Hindi: उदजारल (udjāral) — -OH
  • Italian: ossidrile — -OH
  • Italian: idrossile — -OH
  • Japanese: ヒドロキシル基 (hidorokishiru-ki) — -OH
  • Japanese: 水酸基 (suisanki) — -OH
  • Korean: 히드록시기 (hideuroksigi) — -OH
  • Korean: 수산기 (susan'gi) — -OH
  • Korean: 히드록실기 (hideuroksilgi) — -OH
  • Lithuanian: hidroksilas — -OH
  • Malay: hidroksil — -OH
  • Persian: هیدروکسیل (hidroksil) — -OH
  • Polish: hydroksyl — -OH
  • Portuguese: hidroxila — -OH
  • Russian: гидрокси́л (gidroksíl) — -OH
  • Spanish: hidroxilo — -OH
  • Spanish: oxhidrilo — -OH
  • Swedish: hydroxyl — -OH
  • Swedish: hydroxylgrupp — -OH
Real reading context

hydroxyl in complete knowledge articles