alcohol
Americannoun
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alcohols
plural
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Also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, ethanol. Also called fermentation alcohol. a colorless, limpid, volatile, flammable, water-miscible liquid, C 2 H 5 OH, having an etherlike odor and pungent, burning taste, the intoxicating principle of fermented liquors, produced by yeast fermentation of certain carbohydrates, as grains, molasses, starch, or sugar, or obtained synthetically by hydration of ethylene or as a by-product of certain hydrocarbon syntheses: used chiefly as a solvent in the extraction of specific substances, in beverages, medicines, organic synthesis, lotions, tonics, colognes, rubbing compounds, as an automobile radiator antifreeze, and as a rocket fuel.
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whiskey, gin, vodka, or any other intoxicating liquor containing this liquid.
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Chemistry. any of a class of chemical compounds having the general formula ROH, where R represents an alkyl group and –OH a hydroxyl group, as in methyl alcohol, CH 3 OH, or ethyl alcohol, C 2 H 5 OH.
noun
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Also called: ethanol. ethyl alcohol. a colourless flammable liquid, the active principle of intoxicating drinks, produced by the fermentation of sugars, esp glucose, and used as a solvent and in the manufacture of organic chemicals. Formula: C 2 H 5 OH
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a drink or drinks containing this substance
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chem any one of a class of organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl groups bound to carbon atoms. The simplest alcohols have the formula ROH, where R is an alkyl group Compare phenol See also diol triol
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Any of a large number of colorless, flammable organic compounds that contain the hydroxyl group (OH) and that form esters with acids. Alcohols are used as solvents and for manufacturing dyes, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals. Simple alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, are water-soluble liquids, while more complex ones, like cetyl alcohol, are waxy solids. Names of alcohols usually end in –ol.
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Ethanol.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of alcohol
1535–45; < New Latin < Medieval Latin < Arabic al-kuḥl the powdered antimony, the distillate
Compare meaning
How does alcohol compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Alcohol is a distilled or fermented drink that can make you drunk. Beer, wine and vodka are all kinds of alcohol. Scientifically, alcohol is a liquid made up of distilled hydrocarbons that's also known as ethyl alcohol or ethanol — the same stuff found in solvents and car fuel. At the bar, alcohol is something you drink (as long as you're at least 21). Alcoholic beverages like whiskey and lager are produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugar and starches and have the power to make a person intoxicated.
Vocabulary lists containing alcohol
English Food and Drink Words Derived from Arabic
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Chemistry - High School
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Chemistry - Middle 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:
It’s the corporate equivalent of ordering too much alcohol for a house party where half the guests turn out to be dry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Investors tempted by alcohol companies’ low stock-market valuations should look at their saturated balance sheets first.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Carney asked the provinces to restore US alcohol to the shelves during trade talks, but now that they have collapsed, it's likely the ban will return.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
But Americans’ drinking has since fallen to a 90-year low, and women’s alcohol use dropped 11 percentage points from 2023 to 2025.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
She didn't drink alcohol or eat pork, and she always fasted during Ramadan.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Hydrocarbons and chemical compounds like industrial alcohols and plastics accounted for the bulk of Tehran's exports to Beijing.
From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026
Traditional methods like sprayable alcohols or wipes are not ideal for these delicate displays.
From Science Daily ● May 3, 2024
There are also polyols or sugar alcohols - erythritol particularly has gained traction in recent years.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023
Fermenting encompasses a range of processes through which microorganisms — yeasts, molds, bacteria — break down compounds in food to create alcohols, acids or alkalis, which in turn prevent the growth of harmful pathogens.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2023
The expertise at distillation that medieval Islamic alchemists developed to produce alcohols and perfumes also let them distill petroleum into fractions, some of which proved to be even more powerful incendiaries.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
