acrolein

American  

[uh-kroh-lee-in] / əˈkroʊ li ɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a yellow, flammable liquid, C 3 H 4 O, having a stifling odor, usually obtained by the decomposition of glycerol: used chiefly in the synthesis of commercial and pharmaceutical products.

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acrolein British  

/ əˈkrəʊlɪɪn /

noun

1. a colourless or yellowish flammable poisonous pungent liquid used in the manufacture of resins and pharmaceuticals. Formula: CH 2 :CHCHO

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Etymology

Origin of acrolein

1855–60; < Latin ācr- (stem of ācer ) sharp + olē ( re ) to smell + -in ²

Example Sentences

Two toxic air contaminants present in California’s ambient air, acrolein and ethylene oxide, appear to be much stronger carcinogens than previously known, California environmental health officials announced Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

OEHHA’s assessment provides the first cancer risk value for acrolein since it was classified as probably cancer-causing to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

This was followed by a ‘controlled burn’ of the materials, to avoid an explosion, which generated an enormous black cloud over the site and probably created acrolein and other combustion by-products.

From Scientific American • Mar. 24, 2023

EPA said its measurements temporarily registered slightly elevated acrolein concentrations but didn’t consider them health risks.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2023

When glycerol is heated with dehydrating agents, it is easily converted into acrolein, an unsaturated aldehyde having a peculiar characteristic pungent odor.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred