ethanol
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ethanol
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Explanation
Ethanol is a chemical, a specific type of alcohol. When sugar ferments, as when grapes are made into wine, ethanol is created. Isopropyl alcohol, commonly known as "rubbing alcohol," is poisonous, but ethanol can be safely consumed by most people in small quantities. It's clear and colorless, and highly flammable. In addition to being a component of all alcoholic beverages, ethanol is also an alternative fuel source. The word ethanol is a contraction of ethane, a chemical compound, and alcohol.
Vocabulary lists containing ethanol
Elements of the Universe: Aether ("Sky")
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Sugar Changed the World
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aer (air), aeth (sky), vapor (gas)
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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.
Higher ethanol blends can also corrode gasoline pumps, storage tanks and other infrastructure unless retailers and distributors make upgrades.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Refineries thus perennially run into the so-called “blend wall,” which is the amount of ethanol that can realistically be blended into the fuel supply.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
Farm groups have been pushing the government to remove regulatory and infrastructure limits that currently restrict consumer access to E15—gasoline with 15% ethanol blend.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
South Sudan has started to ration electricity in its capital, Juba, while Zimbabwe is increasing the ethanol content in its petrol.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Rode in the boot of a small auto belonging to a chum of Papa Thibaut’s, a Citroen Rosalie—4-cylinder engine, at least 10 years old, running—just—on a disgusting mix of coal tar and sugar-beet ethanol.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
