# mercapto-

> English word · Prefix · IPA /məɹˈkæptoː/

## Definitions
1. an organosulfur compound that contains a carbon-bonded sulfhydryl or sulphydryl

## Etymology
The term mercaptan was introduced in 1832 by the Danish chemist William Christopher Zeise and is derived from the Latin mercurium captāns (capturing mercury) because the thiolate group bonds very strongly with mercury compounds.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mercapto