plural of mercaptan

(chemistry) Any of a class of organic compounds of sulphur, ( R₁.S.R₂ ); they tend to be foul-smelling. When R₂ is a hydrogen atom, they are termed thiols or thioalcohols.

(organic chemistry) a thiol formally derived from ethyl alcohol by replacing the oxygen atom with sulfur

(organic chemistry) The simplest aromatic thiol, C₆H₅-SH

(organic chemistry) The mercaptan analogue of methyl alcohol; i.e. the compound CH₃SHl used to impart an odor to natural gas.