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  • OL
    OL
    abbreviation
    Old Latin.
  • -ol
    -ol
    a suffix used in the names of chemical derivatives, representing “alcohol” (glycerol; naphthol; phenol ), or sometimes “phenol” or less definitely assignable phenol derivatives (resorcinol ).
  • Ol.
    Ol.
    abbreviation
    (in prescriptions) oil.
  • O.L.
    O.L.
    abbreviation
    (in prescriptions) the left eye.
  • –ol
    –ol
    A suffix used to form the names of chemical compounds having a hydroxyl (OH) group, such as ethanol.

OL

1 American  
Or OL.,

abbreviation

  1. Old Latin.

-ol 2 American  

  1. a suffix used in the names of chemical derivatives, representing “alcohol” (glycerol; naphthol; phenol ), or sometimes “phenol” or less definitely assignable phenol derivatives (resorcinol ).

-ol 3 American  

  1. variant of -ole.

Ol. 4 American  

abbreviation

  1. (in prescriptions) oil.

O.L. 5 American  
Or o.l.

abbreviation

  1. (in prescriptions) the left eye.

-ol 1 British  

combining form

  1. (not used systematically) a variant of -ole 1

"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
-ol 2 British  

suffix

  1. denoting an organic chemical compound containing a hydroxyl group, esp alcohols and phenols

    ethanol

    quinol
"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
–ol Scientific  

  1. A suffix used to form the names of chemical compounds having a hydroxyl (OH) group, such as ethanol.

Etymology

Origin of -ol2

Short for alcohol or phenol

Origin of Ol.4

From the Latin word oleum

Origin of O.L.5

From Latin oculus laevus

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.

A case in point: Americans who filed tax returns last month might recall the irony of printing out a line of boilerplate about the good ol’ “Paperwork Reduction Act.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

And yes, before you go racing to Peacock to confirm, Alexander gave his father Stellan a big ol’ hug in the closing goodbyes.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

What’s driven this bucket-list fascination in recent years is plain ol’ consumerism, as in we want to buy our way to a life of great accomplishment.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

It’s been replaced with plain ol’ bacon that’s purely an add-on to burgers and grilled cheese.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2025

“You’re over there moping like you lost your best friend and you just won that big ol’ trophy.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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.