Keton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of organic compounds characterized by the presence of a carbonyl group bonded to two carbon atoms; substances often used in biochemical processes and industrial applications; molecules that serve as important intermediates in synthesis
2. Organic molecules containing a carbon double-bonded to oxygen with two additional carbon-containing groups attached; commonly found in metabolism and chemical manufacturing; they function as key intermediates and solvents
3. Chemical compounds featuring a carbonyl functional group flanked by alkyl or aryl groups; significant in biological energy pathways and organic chemistry reactions; widely utilized as solvents and reagents in various industries

Etymology: Ketone is a shortened form of "acetone," the simplest member of the family. Chemists named acetone in the 1830s from the Latin "acetum," meaning vinegar, because they first obtained it by heating acetates, the salts of acetic acid, the sour compound in vinegar. The "-one" ending was added to mark the characteristic group of atoms these compounds share. German chemists trimmed "Aceton" to "Keton" and applied the shorter form to the whole class of compounds that share acetone's carbonyl group, a carbon atom double-bonded to oxygen and bonded to two other carbon atoms. English took the term from German.

Synonyms: ketone