wood alcohol

American  

noun

1. methyl alcohol.

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wood alcohol British  

noun

1. another name for methanol

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wood alcohol Scientific  

1. See methanol

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Etymology

Origin of wood alcohol

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Methyl alcohol, also known as wood alcohol, is unsafe for human consumption and finds use in products from paint thinners to fuel, pesticides and anti-freeze, among others.

From Reuters • Jul. 27, 2022

Sometimes called wood alcohol, methanol is widely used in antifreeze, varnishes, cologne, copying machine fluids, paint and fuel.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2020

The legitimate role of government is to find, define and enforce the balance between prohibition and wood alcohol in the gin.

From New York Times • May 31, 2014

Last November, Dr. Holmes reported last week, pale yellow crystals were frozen out of a wood alcohol solution containing oil from mackerel livers.

From Time Magazine Archive

To Clean White Enameled Furniture—First remove all dirty marks with a flannel cloth dipped in wood alcohol.

From Fowler's Household Helps Over 300 Useful and Valuable Helps About the Home, Carefully Compiled and Arranged in Convenient Form for Frequent Use by Fowler, Arthur L.