acetaldehyde

Definition

A colourless organic compound, CH₃CHO, occurring widely in nature and being produced on a large scale in industry.

Etymology

From acet- + aldehyde.

Example Sentences

• "When you have a drink, your body turns the ethanol that’s present in the alcoholic beverage into a “really nasty substance” called acetaldehyde, which can damage your DNA, said Timothy Stockwell, an alcohol researcher at the University of Victoria in Canada."