ketone

American  

[kee-tohn] / ˈki toʊn /

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of a class of organic compounds containing a carbonyl group, CO, attached to two alkyl groups, as CH 3 COCH 3 or CH 3 COC 2 H 5 .

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adjective

1. containing the ketone group.

ketone British  

/ ˈkiːtəʊn /

noun

1. any of a class of compounds with the general formula R′COR, where R and R′ are alkyl or aryl groups See also acetone

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ketone Scientific  

/ kē′tōn′ /

1. Any of a class of organic compounds having the general formula RCOR|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||, where R and R|||PRIMARY_STRESS||| are hydrocarbon radicals that are both attached to the carbon atom of the carbonyl (CO) group. Acetone is a ketone.

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Other Word Forms

• ketonic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of ketone

1850–55; < German Keton, aphetic alteration of Aceton acetone

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Explanation

Ketones are chemicals produced by the body when it burns fat for energy rather than sugar. When doctors find ketones in a patient's blood, it's sometimes a symptom of diabetes. If your body doesn't have enough glucose (or sugar), your liver will produce ketones by breaking down fat. When the ketones are released into your bloodstream, your body can use them as an alternate fuel. This naturally happens at night while you sleep, as well as when you're not eating a balanced diet or regular meals. People with type 1 diabetes produce ketones due to a lack of insulin.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ketone

The landfill’s leachate is composed of concentrations of benzene above hazardous waste thresholds and, on occasion, methyl ethyl ketone above hazardous waste thresholds, as well as other harmful constituents at varying concentrations, the lawsuit said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

By sharply reducing carbohydrates, the diet pushes the body into a state known as ketosis, in which fat is broken down into ketone bodies that serve as an alternative fuel for the brain.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 27, 2026

"It's a new link between metabolism in general, ketone bodies and aging," he said.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

Research at the Buck Institute shows that ketone bodies can best be understood as powerful signaling metabolites affecting brain function in aging and Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

When an osazone is decomposed by boiling with strong acids, the phenyl hydrazine groups break off, leaving a compound containing both an aldehyde and a ketone group.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher

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