butyl alcohol

American

noun

Chemistry.

any of four flammable, isomeric, liquid alcohols having the formula C 4 H 9 OH, used as solvents and in organic synthesis.

butyl alcohol British

noun

another name for butanol

"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

butyl alcohol Scientific

Any of four isomeric compounds that are alcohols and have four carbon atoms. Butyl alcohols are used as solvents and in organic synthesis. The two straight-chained isomers are called butanol. Chemical formula: C ₄ H ₁₀ O.

Etymology

Origin of butyl alcohol

First recorded in 1865–70

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.

Investigators found high levels of butyl alcohol, isopropanol, and acetone as well as ethylene glycol.

From Seattle Times

Normal propyl alcohol is contained in the fusel oil of the marc brandy of the south of France, and isoprimary butyl alcohol in that of beet-root molasses.

From Project Gutenberg

Nencki showed, however, that if both these organisms occur together, the resulting products contain large quantities of normal butyl alcohol, a substance neither bacterium can produce alone.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023