Valeryl

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The chemical group with the formula C4H9CO, formed by removing a hydroxyl from valeric acid and used in organic chemistry
2. An acyl radical, a five-carbon group that derives from valeric acid and appears in certain organic compounds
3. The univalent acyl group of valeric acid, consisting of a four-carbon alkyl chain attached to a carbonyl carbon

Etymology: Valeryl is a chemistry term for the acyl group derived from valeric acid, the five-carbon fatty acid whose name in turn comes from valerian, the medicinal plant. The "-yl" ending is the standard chemical suffix used to name radicals, the portions of a molecule that stay together through reactions, so valeryl is simply valeric acid with its hydroxyl group removed. The word is therefore a straightforward chemical construction, built from valeric plus the suffix "-yl". Its meaning is fixed by that structure rather than shaped by everyday use, so its history is essentially the history of the parent acid's name.

Synonyms: pentanoyl