ˈmethə̇l, chiefly by Brit chemists ˈmēˌthīl noun
( -s )
Etymology: German methyl & French méthyle, back-formation from International Scientific Vocabulary methylene
: an alkyl radical CH 3 derived from methane by removal of one hydrogen atom that is known usually in combination in many compounds but is also isolated momentarily in the free state as a gaseous fragmentation product of the pyrolysis of organic compounds