acetal

[ as-i-tal ]

/ ˈæs ɪˌtæl /

noun Chemistry.

Also called diethylacetal. a colorless, volatile, sparingly water-soluble liquid, C6H14O2, having a nutlike aftertaste, obtained from acetaldehyde and ethyl alcohol: used chiefly as a solvent and in the manufacture of perfumes.

any of a class of compounds of aldehydes with alcohols.

Nearby words

acetabular fossa, acetabulectomy, acetabuliform, acetabuloplasty, acetabulum, acetal, acetaldehyde, acetaldol, acetamide, acetaminophen, acetanilide

Origin of acetal

First recorded in 1850–55; acet- + -al³

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for acetal

acetal

/ (ˈæsɪˌtæl) /

noun

1,1-diethoxyethane; a colourless volatile liquid used as a solvent and in perfumes. Formula: CH 3 CH(OC 2 H 5) 2

any organic compound containing the group -CH(OR 1)OR 2, where R 1 and R 2 are other organic groups

Word Origin for acetal

C19: from German Azetal, from aceto- + alcohol

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

Medicine definitions for acetal

acetal

[ ăs′ĭ-tăl′ ]

n.

A colorless, flammable, volatile liquid used as a solvent.

Any of the compounds formed from aldehydes combined with alcohol.