acetaldehyde

[ as-i-tal-duh-hahyd ]

/ ˌæs ɪˈtæl dəˌhaɪd /

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noun Chemistry.

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

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Also called ethanal.

Origin of acetaldehyde

First recorded in 1875–80; acet- + aldehyde

Words nearby acetaldehyde

acesodyne, acet-, acetabuliform, acetabulum, acetal, acetaldehyde, acetaldol, acetamide, acetaminophen, acetanilide, acetanisidine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use acetaldehyde in a sentence

She explains that exposing wine to oxygen triggers chemical reactions that turn alcohol into acetaldehyde.
How to keep wine fresh after opening it|Sandra Gutierrez|August 24, 2021|Popular-Science
The substance investigated was acetaldehyde, C2H4O, in its relation to paraldehyde, a polymeric modification.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 8|Various
Acetaldehyde, which is halfway between alcohol and acid, may also be easily oxidized to acetic acid.
Creative Chemistry|Edwin E. Slosson
Metaldehyde (C2H4O2)2, obtained by treating acetaldehyde at a low temperature with hydrochloric acid.
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth

The decomposition of pyruvic acid into acetaldehyde and carbon dioxide has already been fully discussed (Chapter VI).
Alcoholic Fermentation|Arthur Harden
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

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 CHOSystematic 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-tăl′də-hīd′ ]

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