Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

denatured alcohol

American  

noun

Chemistry.
  1. alcohol, especially ethyl alcohol, that has been denatured: used chiefly as a solvent and in chemical synthesis.


denatured alcohol British  

noun

  1. chem ethanol rendered unfit for human consumption by the addition of a noxious substance, as in methylated spirits

"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

denatured alcohol Scientific  
/ dē-nāchərd /
  1. Ethyl alcohol to which a poisonous substance, such as acetone or methanol, has been added to make it unfit for consumption.


Compare meaning

How does denatured-alcohol compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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:

Now that most of the paint is gone, spray the chair with denatured alcohol and scrub with more steel wool to clean off any residue.

From Seattle Times Jun. 3, 2024

Pour a small amount of denatured alcohol onto the finish, wait a few minutes and see whether the finish is sticky; if it is, the finish is shellac.

From Washington Post May 9, 2022

For shellac, lacquer or a water-based stain or finish, it also needs a final cleaning with denatured alcohol to remove the oily residue from the paint thinner.

From Washington Post May 9, 2022

The denatured alcohol, which simply carries the product, is also flammable, Francl said.

From Seattle Times Sep. 23, 2019

The lamp or burner consists of a receptacle C for containing the denatured alcohol.

From Boys' Book of Model Boats by Yates, Raymond F. (Raymond Francis)

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training