et

et — abbreviation

1. A short written form of 'ethyl', the chemical group C₂H₅−, used in molecular for

1.abbreviation
Definition

A short written form of 'ethyl', the chemical group C₂H₅−, used in molecular formulas and lab reports in organic chemistry.

Example

The lab report showed an ET group attached to the benzene ring.

ET group — ethyl functional group in organic molecules

Esteban noted that the ET substituent increased the compound's volatility.

Common collocations
  • ET group
  • ET substituent
  • ET abbreviation

Grammar Patterns

ET + noun (e.g., ET group, ET substituent)

Usage Note

Primarily appears in written chemical contexts — molecular diagrams, lab notebooks, and research papers. Not used in spoken chemistry lectures.

2. A written abbreviation for Eastern Time, the time zone covering the US East Coas

2.abbreviation
Definition

A written abbreviation for Eastern Time, the time zone covering the US East Coast (UTC−5 standard / UTC−4 daylight), widely used in TV schedules, meeting announcements, and sports broadcasts.

Example

The webinar starts at 2:00 PM ET; West Coast viewers log in at 11:00 AM PT.

time + ET — standard format for US time zone reference

Quinn set an 8:30 AM ET alarm for the New York earnings call.

Common collocations
  • PM ET
  • AM ET
  • ET time zone
  • convert to ET

Grammar Patterns

[time] + ET

Usage Note

ET covers both EST (winter) and EDT (summer). When publishing an event time, use ET rather than EST or EDT unless daylight-saving status needs to be explicit. Also used in international contexts for US East Coast coordination.

et — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

ET is the most informal and culturally loaded term for an extraterrestrial being, carrying warm associations from the 1982 film. 'Alien' is the everyday neutral term — it can describe any being from another world, from hostile invaders in sci-fi movies to hypothetical microbes on Mars. 'Extraterrestrial' is the formal scientific word, used in academic writing and astronomy. 'Space being' is a casual descriptive phrase common in children's books and media. Example contrast: 'The scientists debated whether extraterrestrial life exists' (formal) vs. 'My little brother dressed up as an ET for Halloween' (informal, film-inspired).

alien ↗extraterrestrial ↗space beingET ↗

Common collocations

Noun/1

  • friendly ET
  • ET phone home
  • search for ET
  • signs of ET

Abbreviation/1

  • ET group
  • ET substituent
  • ET abbreviation

Abbreviation/2

  • PM ET
  • AM ET
  • ET time zone
  • convert to ET

Etymology

EnglishAmerican English

The abbreviation ET for 'ethyl' follows the standard chemistry convention of using the first letter of the prefix (E) and the first consonant of the base (T from 'thyl'). The time-zone abbreviation ET simply initials 'Eastern Time'. The noun use meaning 'extraterrestrial' was propelled into global vocabulary by Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — the word itself had existed in science fiction before, but the film made ET a household name.