glycerol

American  

[glis-uh-rawl, -rol] / ˈglɪs əˌrɔl, -ˌrɒl /

noun

1. a colorless, odorless, syrupy, sweet liquid, C 3 H 8 O 3 , usually obtained by the saponification of natural fats and oils: used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emollients.

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glycerol British  

/ ˈɡlɪsəˌrɒl /

noun

1. Also called (not in technical usage): glycerine.   glycerin.  a colourless or pale yellow odourless sweet-tasting syrupy liquid; 1,2,3-propanetriol: a by-product of soap manufacture, used as a solvent, antifreeze, plasticizer, and sweetener ( E422 ). Formula: C 3 H 8 O 3

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glycerol Scientific  

/ glĭs′ə-rôl′ /

1. A sweet, syrupy liquid obtained from animal fats and oils or by the fermentation of glucose. It is used as a solvent, sweetener, and antifreeze and in making explosives and soaps. Glycerol consists of a propane molecule attached to three hydroxyl (OH) groups. Also called glycerin, glycerine. Chemical formula: C ₃ H ₈ O ₃ .

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Etymology

Origin of glycerol

First recorded in 1880–85; glycer(in) + -ol ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

glycerol

"Our group's investigations had already revealed that bacteria can use uranium dissolved in water for their metabolism when they have access to glycerol as a food source."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

Instead, the researchers used a tabletop rectangular tank filled with viscous glycerol and tiny thermochromic liquid crystals that change color as temperatures shift.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

That process releases glycerol, a molecule produced during fat metabolism.

From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026

Most slushies contain naturally occurring glycerol instead of sugar to stop them freezing solid, giving them the slushy effect.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2025

In a field trial in which the initial intent was to test the effect of glycerol levels on fertility of frozen semen, the semen was thawed in the morning and used during the same day.

From Preservation of Bull Semen at Sub-Zero Temperatures by M. E. Friedman