1. One of a series of organic chemical compounds in which a hydrogen (H) attached to carbon is replaced by a hydroxyl (OH); alcohol’s react with acids to form esters and with alkali metals to form alcoholates. For individual alcohol’s not listed here, see specific name.
2. CH3CH2OH; made from sugar, starch, and other carbohydrates by fermentation with yeast, and synthetically from ethylene or acetylene. It has been used in beverages and as a solvent, vehicle, and preservative; medicinally, it is used externally as a rubefacient, coolant, and disinfectant, and internally as an analgesic, stomachic, sedative, and antipyretic. Syn: ethanol, ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, rectified spirit, wine spirit.
3. The azeotropic mixture of CH3CH2OH and water (92.3% by weight of ethanol at 15.56°C).
Origin
[Ar. al, the, + kohl, fine antimonial powder, the term being applied first to a fine powder, then, to anything impalpable (spirit)]
absolute alcohol
acid alcohol
anhydrous alcohol
bile alcohol
dehydrated alcohol
denatured alcohol
dihydric alcohol
dilute alcohol
fatty alcohol
grain alcohol
methyl alcohol
monohydric alcohol
multiple alcohol
polyoxyethylene alcohols
primary alcohol
pyroligneous alcohol
rubbing alcohol
secondary alcohol
tertiary alcohol
trihydric alcohol
unsaturated alcohols
wax alcohol