acetaldehyde

[ as-i-tal-duh-hahyd ]

nounChemistry.
  1. a volatile, colorless, water-soluble liquid, C2H4O, having a pungent, fruitlike odor: used chiefly in the silvering of mirrors and in organic synthesis.

Origin of acetaldehyde

1
First recorded in 1875–80; acet- + aldehyde

Words Nearby acetaldehyde

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use acetaldehyde in a sentence

  • Important evidence as to the specific capability of yeast to reduce acetaldehyde to alcohol has been obtained by several workers.

    Alcoholic Fermentation | Arthur Harden

British Dictionary definitions for acetaldehyde

acetaldehyde

/ (ˌæsɪˈtældɪˌhaɪd) /


noun
  1. a colourless volatile pungent liquid, miscible with water, used in the manufacture of organic compounds and as a solvent and reducing agent. Formula: CH 3 CHO: Systematic name: ethanal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for acetaldehyde

acetaldehyde

[ ăs′ĭ-tăldə-hīd′ ]


  1. A colorless, flammable liquid, used to manufacture acetic acid, perfumes, and drugs. Chemical formula: C2H4O.

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