Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Methylal \Meth"yl*al\, n. [Methylene + alcohol.] (Chem.)
   A light, volatile liquid, {H2C(OCH3)2}, regarded as a complex
   ether, and having a pleasant ethereal odor. It is obtained by
   the partial oxidation of methyl alcohol. Called also
   {formal}.