methylated spirits

American  

Or methylated spirit

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)

1. ethyl alcohol denatured with methyl alcohol for the purpose of preventing its use as an alcoholic beverage.

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methylated spirits British  

noun

1. Also called: metho.   meths.  (functioning as singular or plural) alcohol that has been denatured by the addition of methanol and pyridine and a violet dye

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Etymology

Origin of methylated spirits

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

In addition to prescription medications, she used methylated spirits, tea tree oil, and even put toothpaste on the spots.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2020

Lush's cleaning staples are the same ones everybody's great-grandmother used: vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, methylated spirits, detergent, glycerine, milk.

From Time Magazine Archive

Suddenly I was struck by a happy thought, and hurrying upstairs I found a bottle of methylated spirits on my wife's toilet-table.

From The War of the Wenuses by Graves, Charles L. (Charles Larcom)

If the pens are intended to be lacquered they are placed in a solution of shellac dissolved in methylated spirits.

From The Story of the Invention of Steel Pens With a Description of the Manufacturing Process by Which They Are Produced by Bore, Henry

Imitation Walnut.—A mixture of two parts of brown umber and one part of sulphuric acid, with spirits of wine or methylated spirits added until it is sufficiently fluid, will serve for white wood.

From French Polishing and Enamelling A Practical Work of Instruction by Bitmead, Richard