fusel oil

[fyoo-zuh l, -suh l]

noun

a mixture consisting chiefly of amyl alcohols obtained as a by-product in the fermentation of grains.

Origin of fusel oil

First recorded in 1855–60, fusel oil is from the German word Fusel bad liquor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fusel oil

Historical Examples of fusel oil

There are still other kinds of alcohol, some of which are even worse than fusel-oil.
First Book in Physiology and Hygiene
J.H. Kellogg
Amylene (C5H10), an ethereal liquid with an aromatic odour, prepared from fusel-oil.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2
Various
There are many poisonous pretenders to Scotch whiskey; and it is when fusel-oil masquerades as pure spirit that the evil comes.
Nineteen Centuries of Drink in England
Richard Valpy French

British Dictionary definitions for fusel oil

fusel oil

fusel

noun

a mixture of amyl alcohols, propanol, and butanol: a by-product in the distillation of fermented liquors used as a source of amyl alcohols

Word Origin for fusel oil

C19: from German Fusel bad 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

fusel oil in Science

fusel oil

[fyōō′zəl]

An acrid, oily, poisonous liquid occurring in the distillation products of fermented alcoholic liquids. Fusel oil is a mixture of amyl alcohols, fatty acids, and esters. It is used in paints, plastics, and varnishes, and in the manufacture of explosives.