1. Plural of hydroxyl; chemical groups consisting of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom bonded together, commonly found in organic compounds and alcohols.
Usage: chemistry; technical

Examples

• The molecule contains multiple hydroxyls that make it highly polar.
• Alcohols are characterized by the presence of one or more hydroxyls attached to a carbon chain.
• The hydroxyls in glucose contribute to its solubility in water.
• Chemists identified three distinct hydroxyls in the compound's structure.
• The reaction replaced several hydroxyls with chlorine atoms.