glycerol

American

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

noun

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.

glycerol British

/ ˈɡlɪsəˌrɒl /

noun

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

"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

glycerol Scientific

/ glĭs′ə-rôl′ /

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 .

Etymology

Origin of glycerol

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

Vocabulary lists containing glycerol

Biochemistry

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Nutrition and Digestion - High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

glycerol

"Our study has revealed for the first time that bacteria supplied with glycerol as a carbon source can convert toxic uranium dissolved in water into a stable chemical compound," says Krawczyk-Bärsch.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

"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

With conditions suitable for bacterial growth, the microorganisms began using glycerol as a food source.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 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

The resulting glycerol percentages after mixing the sidearm and main compartment contents were 0, 4, 8, and 12 percent.

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

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023