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

They blended it with modified starch and bentonite nanoclay, then added glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol to improve durability and flexibility.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Dr Duane Mellor from the British Dietetic Association told the BBC that it was "relatively rare" for children to suffer ill side-effects after drinking slushies containing glycerol.

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2025

Children should completely avoid "slushy" ice drinks containing glycerol, which can make them very ill, until they are at least eight years old, say researchers calling for official public-health advice to change.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2025

It turns out that fatty acids and glycerol may have undergone phosphorylation to create that more stable, double chain structure.

From Science Daily • Feb. 29, 2024

Some samples were checked after slowly bringing the diluent up to a level of 40 percent glycerol; the sperm seemed to be immobilized completely in this solution.

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