What is "acyl"

Acyl \Ac"yl\, n. [Acid + -yl.] (Org. Chem.) An acid radical, as acetyl, malonyl, or benzoyl. An acyl radical can be depicted as R-CO-, where -CO- is the carbonyl group, and R is the group that characterizes the acyl moiety. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC] ||

n. (context organic chemistry English) Any of class of organic radicals, RCO-, formed by the removal of a hydroxyl group from a carboxylic acid.

n. any group or radical of the form RCO- where R is an organic group; "an example of the acyl group is the acetyl group" [syn: acyl group]