methyl alcohol

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a colorless, volatile, water-soluble, poisonous liquid, CH 4 O, obtained by the destructive distillation of wood or the incomplete oxidation of natural gas, or produced synthetically from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, used chiefly as a solvent, a fuel, and an automobile antifreeze and in the synthesis of formaldehyde.

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methyl alcohol British  

noun

1. another name for methanol

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methyl alcohol Scientific  

1. See methanol

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Etymology

Origin of methyl alcohol

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

methyl alcohol

In 2002, fire ignited several 10,000-gallon tanks of methyl alcohol.

From Washington Times ● May 12, 2016

Recommend ReportPermalinkreply Junoir in reply to Seven839 Oct 30th 2012 17:36 GMT "BTW corruption in the Czech republic has reached new levels...after methyl alcohol fiasco now the new accusation about the vegetable oils containing pesticides".

From Economist ● Oct. 19, 2012

To control methyl alcohol releases, Ballenger had to build a catalytic converter for $600,000 and spend $500,000 to make airtight the room where he prints labels on the packaging.

From Time Magazine Archive

The engines gleamed like platinum; for fuel some burned an explosive mixture of methyl alcohol and nitromethane.

From Time Magazine Archive

For this purpose only boric acid or its potassium salt must be present; and to ensure this, the borate can be distilled with sulphuric acid and methyl alcohol and the volatile ester absorbed in potash.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 3 "Borgia, Lucrezia" to "Bradford, John" by Various