Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Alcohol

Al′co-hol

(ăl′kō̍-hŏl)
,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
alcool
, formerly written
alcohol
, Sp.
alcohol
alcohol, antimony, galena, OSp.
alcofol
; all fr. Ar.
al-kohl
a powder of antimony or galena, to paint the eyebrows with. The name was afterwards applied, on account of the fineness of this powder, to highly rectified spirits, a signification unknown in Arabia. The Sp. word has both meanings. Cf.
Alquifou
.]
1.
An impalpable powder.
[Obs.]
2.
The fluid essence or pure spirit obtained by distillation.
[Obs.]
Boyle.
☞ As used in the U. S. “Pharmacopœia,”
alcohol
contains 91 per cent by weight of ethyl alcohol and 9 per cent of water; and diluted alcohol (proof spirit) contains 45.5 per cent by weight of ethyl alcohol and 54.5 per cent of water.
4.
(Organic Chem.)
A class of compounds analogous to vinic alcohol in constitution. Chemically speaking, they are hydroxides of certain organic radicals;
as, the radical ethyl forms common or
ethyl alcohol
(
C2H5.OH
); methyl forms
methyl alcohol
(
CH3.OH
) or
wood alcohol
; amyl forms
amyl alcohol
(
C5H11.OH
) or
fusel oil
, etc.

Webster 1828 Edition

Alcohol

AL'COHOL

,
Noun.
[Heb. to paint with a preparation of powder of antimony. The oriental females still practice the painting of the eye brows with this material. The name was applied to this substance, and afterwards to other fine powders, and to highly rectified spirits.]
Pure or highly rectified spirit, obtained from formented liquors by distillation. It consists of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. it is extremely light and inflammable, and a powerful stimulant and antiseptic. This is the usual sense of the word; but originally, in Arabic, it signified a fine impalpable powder, in which sense it is still used.

Definition 2024

alcohol

alcohol

See also: álcohol

English

Noun

alcohol ‎(countable and uncountable, plural alcohols)

An assortment of alcoholic beverages
  1. (organic chemistry, countable) Any of a class of organic compounds (such as ethanol) containing a hydroxyl functional group (-OH).
  2. (colloquial) ethanol
  3. (uncountable) Beverage containing ethanol.
    • 2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:
      Risk is everywhere. From tabloid headlines insisting that coffee causes cancer (yesterday, of course, it cured it) to stern government warnings about alcohol and driving, the world is teeming with goblins.
  4. (obsolete) Any very fine powder.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:alcoholic beverage

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ↑ 1672 per the OED
  2. ↑ Etymology of Alcohol
  3. ↑ Nicolae Sfetcu, Health & Drugs: Disease, Prescription & Medication (2014)

Asturian

Noun

alcohol m ‎(plural alcoholes)

  1. alcohol

Catalan

Pronunciation

  • (standard) IPA(key): /əɫkuˈoɫ/

Noun

alcohol m ‎(plural alcohols)

  1. (organic chemistry, countable) alcohol
  2. (uncountable) alcohol

Related terms

External links

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: al‧co‧hol

Noun

alcohol m ‎(plural alcoholen)

  1. (countable, organic chemistry) alcohol (class of compounds)
  2. (uncountable) alcohol (ethanol specifically)

Synonyms

  • (beverage): sterke drank

Related terms

French

Noun

alcohol m ‎(plural alcohols)

  1. (rare) Alternative spelling of alcool

Galician

Alternative forms

Noun

alcohol m ‎(plural alcohois)

  1. alcohol

Related terms

External links

Latin

Pronunciation

Noun

alcohol n ‎(genitive alcoholis); third declension

  1. alcohol

Inflection

Third declension neuter.

Case Singular Plural
nominative alcohol alcohola
genitive alcoholis alcoholum
dative alcoholī alcoholibus
accusative alcohol alcohola
ablative alcohole alcoholibus
vocative alcohol alcohola

Related terms

References

  • alcohol in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Old French

Noun

alcohol m ‎(oblique plural alcohous or alcohox or alcohols, nominative singular alcohous or alcohox or alcohols, nominative plural alcohol)

  1. alcohol
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Spanish

Etymology

Via Andalusian Arabic from Arabic اَلْكُحْل ‎(al-kuḥl, “kohl”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /al.koˈol/, /alˈkol/

Noun

alcohol m ‎(plural alcoholes)

  1. alcohol
  2. (mineralogy) galena
  3. (cosmetics) kohl, stibnite

Related terms

External links

Etymology

Ultimately from an Arabic term which first entered European alchemical jargon, and then entered general use. It reached English in the 1500s via Old Spanish and/or Old French alcohol (modern French alcool).

Since at least the 1600s,[1] some authorities have suggested اَلْكُحْل ‎(al-kuḥl, “kohl”) as the Arabic etymon; this suggestion is found for example in Webster's Third New International Dictionary.

Other authorities, including Rachel Hajar, suggest that the ultimate etymon was the classical Arabic term اَلْغَوْل ‎(al-ḡawl) or غَوْل ‎(ḡawl, “bad effect, evil result of headache”) (as used in Qur’an verse 37:47 (Arabic), which refers to drink in which there is no "ghawl").[2][3]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈæl.kə.hɒl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈæl.kə.hɔl/, /ˈæl.kə.hɑl/
  • (US, nonstandard) IPA(key): /ˈɑl.kə.hɔl/, /ˈɑl.kə.hɑl/

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