acetone

[ as-i-tohn ]

/ ˈæs ɪˌtoʊn /

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noun Chemistry.

a colorless, volatile, water-soluble, flammable liquid, C3H6O, usually derived by oxidation of isopropyl alcohol or by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates: used chiefly in paints and varnishes, as a general solvent, and in organic synthesis.

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Also called dimethylketone.

Origin of acetone

First recorded in 1830–40; acet- + -one

OTHER WORDS FROM acetone

ac·e·ton·ic

[as-i-ton-ik], /ˌæs ɪˈtɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby acetone

acetoacetic acid, acetobacter, acetoin, acetometer, acetonaemia, acetone, acetone body, acetonemia, acetonitrile, acetonuria, acetophenetidin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use acetone in a sentence

Just as abrasive surfaces can ruin your TV, so can abrasive chemicals like acetone, ammonia, and alcohol—they can eat away the plastic.
How to clean a TV screen|John Kennedy|February 15, 2022|Popular-Science
Like, “Let’s do biofuel, let’s do huge feed, let’s make acetone.”
Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean? (Ep. 467)|Stephen J. Dubner|June 24, 2021|Freakonomics
Brown was then sent home with acetone and a rinse, which her sister then used to try and help remove the glue.
Tessica Brown Successfully Removes Gorilla Glue Via Surgery|Jasmine Grant|February 11, 2021|Essence.com
She was sent home with sterilizing water and acetone wipes — commonly used for removing nail polish.
She used Gorilla Glue as hairspray. After 15 washes and a trip to the ER, it still won’t budge.|Lateshia Beachum|February 8, 2021|Washington Post

She adds that the fire was set using gasoline, whereas the fires after were all set using acetone.
Who Is Burning Down Detroit’s World-Famous Street Art?|James Fassinger|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Van Ronk described how when visiting Asch he would put on his “Folkways suit,” a filthy jacket that smelled of acetone.
Fact Vs. Fiction in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’: The Real Story of Folk is Far Less Dejected Than the Movie|Jimmy So|December 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Acetone is derived from decomposition of diacetic acid, and this in turn from beta-oxybutyric acid by oxidation.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Diacetic acid occurs in the same conditions as acetone, but is less frequent and has more serious significance.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Neutral volatile substances—ethyl alcohol, aldehyde, acetone.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
More accurate investigations enabled him to identify these substances with acetone compounds.
Schenk's Theory: The Determination of Sex|Samuel Leopold Schenk
What comes over in the form of vapour is a mixture of water, acetone and wood spirit.
The Romance of War Inventions|Thomas W. Corbin

British Dictionary definitions for acetone

acetone

/ (ˈæsɪˌtəʊn) /

noun

a colourless volatile flammable pungent liquid, miscible with water, used in the manufacture of chemicals and as a solvent and thinner for paints, varnishes, and lacquers. Formula: CH 3 COCH 3Systematic name: propanone

Derived forms of acetone

acetonic (ˌæsɪˈtɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for acetone

C19: from German Azeton, from aceto- + -one

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 acetone

acetone

[ ăs′ĭ-tōn′ ]

A colorless, volatile, extremely flammable liquid ketone that is widely used as a solvent, for example in nail-polish remover. Chemical formula: C3H6O.