ethanol

/ˈɛθ.ə.nɑl/

UK: /ˈɛθ.ə.nɒl/

ƐΘ · ə · nɑl (3 syllables)

English Noun Top 30,529

Definition

A simple aliphatic alcohol formally derived from ethane by replacing one hydrogen atom with a hydroxyl group: CH₃-CH₂-OH.

Contracted from ethyl + alcohol. Ethyl is from Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr, “ether”), influenced by German Äthyl. May be decomposed as ethane + -ol.

"Our stomachs and livers have an enzyme known as alcohol dehydrogenase that breaks down ethanol to make it less toxic for our bodies, said Atlanta gastroenterologist Dr. Preston Stewart."
"In 2007, not one drop of ethanol was produced in Ohio. Today, four ethanol facilities in Ohio are producing two hundred and ninety-five million gallons annually."