n.
- a colourless volatile flammable liquid which is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, etc. Also called ethanol, ethyl alcohol.
[C2H5OH.]
- drink containing alcohol.
- Chemistry any organic compound containing a hydroxyl group –OH:
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propyl alcohol.
Etymology
C16 (in the sense ‘a fine powder, especially kohl, produced by sublimation’, later ‘distilled spirit’): Fr., or from med. L., from Arab. al-kuḥl ‘the kohl’.
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