1. The monatomic alcohol radical of the tetracarbon series, C4 H3, called by its discoverer Corbet Valyl, and by later chemists also Tetryl, and Quartyl.
(There are four isomeric modifications of TETRYL,
| CH3 CH2 CH2 C H2, | (CH3)9 . CH C H2, | |
| C2H5 CH . CH3, | (CH3)3 . C, |
1868–77. Watts, Dict. Chem. (1879), V. 731. Tetryl or butyl. Ibid., VI. 373. With sodium it gives off … but little butyl.
1870. Tyndall, Heat, xv. § 750. It is called nitrite of butyl.
2. attrib. Of butyl, butylic, tetrylic: as in butyl compounds, group, series; also butyl acetate, aldehyde, chloride, oxide, sulphide, etc.; and esp. in butyl alcohol, C4 H10 O, of which there are four isomers, 1. normal butyl alcohol or propyl carbinol (which yields butyric acid), 2. fermentation or isobutyl alcohol or isopropyl carbinol, 3. secondary butyl alcohol or methyl-ethyl carbinol, 4. tertiary butyl alcohol or trimethyl carbinol; butyl hydride = quartane, a volatile hydro-carbon C4 H10, the lightest of all known liquids; butyl aldehyde, the same as butyric aldehyde. So many other combinations as butyl carbinol, butyl benzene, etc.
1869. Roscoe, Elem. Chem. (1874), 330. Butyl hydride … is the lightest of all known liquids. Ibid., 331. This [normal butyl alcohol] is the primary alcohol, as it yields on oxidation butyl aldehyde and butyric acid.
1869–71. Watts, Dict. Chem. (1879), VI. 373. Isopropyl-carbinol or isoprimary-butylic Alcohol constitutes the butylic alcohol or Wurtz, which was extracted from fusel-oil. For a long time it was the only butyl alcohol known to chemists.
1873. Fownes, Chem., 599. Butyl-carbinol is prepared from normal butyl alcohol in the same manner as the latter from normal propyl alcohol.
1880. Med. Temp. Jrnl., July, 167. He found that butyl and propyl alcohols were possessed of strong toxic properties.
3. Hence derivatives in Butyl-: Butylactic, in Butylactic acid: the monobasic acid, C4 H8 O3, derived from Butyl glycol; the tetracarbon or Butylene member of the Lactic series. Butylamide, a less correct name for BUTYRAMIDE. Butylamine, an AMINE, or compound ammonia of the butyl series. Butylene, the diatomic hydrocarbon or olefine of the butyl series, C4 H8, also called Butene and Tetrene, of which there are several isomeric modifications; in comb. as butylene alcohol, etc. Butylenic a., of or pertaining to Butylene. Butylic a., of or pertaining to Butyl, as in butylic alcohol, butylic ether, etc.
1863–72. Watts, Dict. Chem., I. 688. Butylactic acid bears to butyric acid the same relation that lactic acid bears to propionic acid. Ibid. (1877), V. 733. Tetrylic or butylic alcohol of fermentation is a primary alcohol. Ibid. (1877), Fownes’ Chem., II. 57. Butene or Butylene—of this hydro-carbon there are three modifications … Normal butene, Pseudobutene, Isobutene.
