Adjacent Words

Alcohol definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AL'COHOL, n. [Heb. to paint with a preparation of powder of antimony. The oriental females still practice the painting of the eye brows with this material. The name was applied to this substance, and afterwards to other fine powders, and to highly rectified spirits.]
Pure or highly rectified spirit, obtained from formented liquors by distillation. It consists of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. it is extremely light and inflammable, and a powerful stimulant and antiseptic. This is the usual sense of the word; but originally, in Arabic, it signified a fine impalpable powder, in which sense it is still used.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent; "alcohol (or drink) ruined him" [syn: alcohol, alcoholic drink, alcoholic beverage, intoxicant, inebriant]
2: any of a series of volatile hydroxyl compounds that are made from hydrocarbons by distillation

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: New Latin, from Medieval Latin, powdered antimony, from Old Spanish, from Arabic al-ku?ul the powdered antimony, from ku?l kohl Date: 1672 1. a. ethanol especially when considered as the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors b. drink (as whiskey or beer) containing ethanol c. a mixture of ethanol and water that is usually 95 percent ethanol 2. any of a class of organic compounds that are analogous to ethanol and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 (in full ethyl alcohol) a colourless volatile inflammable liquid forming the intoxicating element in wine, beer, spirits, etc., and also used as a solvent, as fuel, etc. Also called ETHANOL. Usage: Chem. formula: C2H5OH 2 any liquor containing this. 3 Chem. any of a large class of organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl groups attached to carbon atoms. Etymology: F or med.L f. Arab. al-kuhl f. al the + kuhl KOHL

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alcohol Al"co*hol ([a^]l"k[-o]*h[o^]l), n. [Cf. F. alcool, formerly written alcohol, Sp. alcohol alcohol, antimony, galena, OSp. alcofol; all fr. Ar. al-kohl a powder of antimony or galena, to paint the eyebrows with. The name was afterwards applied, on account of the fineness of this powder, to highly rectified spirits, a signification unknown in Arabia. The Sp. word has both meanings. Cf. Alquifou.] 1. An impalpable powder. [Obs.] 2. The fluid essence or pure spirit obtained by distillation. [Obs.] --Boyle. 3. Pure spirit of wine; pure or highly rectified spirit (called also ethyl alcohol); the spirituous or intoxicating element of fermented or distilled liquors, or more loosely a liquid containing it in considerable quantity. It is extracted by simple distillation from various vegetable juices and infusions of a saccharine nature, which have undergone vinous fermentation. Note: As used in the U. S. ``Pharmacop[oe]ia,'' alcohol contains 91 per cent by weight of ethyl alcohol and 9 per cent of water; and diluted alcohol (proof spirit) contains 45.5 per cent by weight of ethyl alcohol and 54.5 per cent of water. 4. (Organic Chem.) A class of compounds analogous to vinic alcohol in constitution. Chemically speaking, they are hydroxides of certain organic radicals; as, the radical ethyl forms common or ethyl alcohol (C2H5.OH); methyl forms methyl alcohol (CH3.OH) or wood spirit; amyl forms amyl alcohol (C5H11.OH) or fusel oil, etc.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(alcohols) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Drinks that can make people drunk, such as beer, wine, and whisky, can be referred to as alcohol. Do either of you smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol?... N-UNCOUNT 2. Alcohol is a colourless liquid that is found in drinks such as beer, wine, and whisky. It is also used in products such as perfumes and cleaning fluids. ...low-alcohol beer... N-MASS

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Spirits of wine, pure spirit, highly rectified spirit.

Foolish Dictionary

A liquid good for preserving almost everything except secrets.

Moby Thesaurus

Amytal, Amytal pill, Argyrol, Chile saltpeter, Demerol, Dial, Dolophine, H, John Barleycorn, Luminal, Luminal pill, M, Mercurochrome, Merthiolate, Mickey Finn, Nembutal, Nembutal pill, Salol, Seconal, Seconal pill, Sulfonal, Trional, Tuinal, Tuinal pill, absolute alcohol, acetate, acetone, alcoholic beverage, alcoholic drink, aldehyde, amine, ammonia, amobarbital sodium, amyl alcohol, analgesic, anhydride, anodyne, antifreeze, aqua regia, aqua vitae, ardent spirits, arsenate, arsenite, barb, barbital, barbiturate, barbiturate pill, barbituric acid, basic anhydride, belladonna, benzine, benzoate, beverage, bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, bichloride of mercury, bisulfate, black stuff, blue, blue angel, blue devil, blue heaven, blue velvet, booze, borate, borax, boric acid, brew, briquette, bromide, burnable, butane, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, calmative, calomel, camphor, carbide, carbohydrate, carbolic acid, carbon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon tet, carbon tetrachloride, carbonate, charcoal, chloral hydrate, chloramine, chlorate, chlorite, chloroform, chromate, citrate, coal, codeine, codeine cough syrup, coke, combustible, copperas, cresol, cyanide, dehydrated alcohol, depressant, depressor, dichromate, dioxide, disulfide, dolly, dope, downer, drink, ester, ethane, ethanol, ether, ethyl, ethyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, fireball, firewater, firing, flammable, flammable material, fluoride, formaldehyde, fuel, fuel additive, fuel dope, fulminate, gas, gas carbon, gasoline, gentian violet, goofball, gramicidin, grog, halide, halogen, hard liquor, hard stuff, heptane, heroin, hexachloraphene, hexane, hooch, hop, horse, hydrate, hydride, hydrocarbon, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxide, hyoscyamine, hypnotic, hypochlorite, inebriant, inflammable, inflammable material, intoxicant, intoxicating liquor, iodide, iodine, isooctane, isopropyl alcohol, jet fuel, juice, junk, kerosene, ketone, knockout drops, lactate, laudanum, liquor, little brown jug, lotus, meperidine, methadone, methane, methanol, methyl, methyl alcohol, monoxide, moonshine, morphia, morphine, narcotic, natural gas, niter, nitrate, nitride, nitrite, octane, oil, opiate, opium, oxalate, oxide, pacifier, pain killer, paraffin, paraldehyde, paregoric, peat, pen yan, pentane, pentobarbital, permanganate, peroxide, petrochemical, phenobarbital, phenobarbital sodium, phenol, phenyl salicylate, phosphate, phosphide, potable, potash, potassium nitrate, potation, propane, propellant, punch bowl, purple heart, quietener, rainbow, red, reserpine, resorcinol, rocket fuel, rum, sal ammoniac, salt, saltpeter, sauce, scag, schnapps, scopolamine, secobarbital sodium, sedative, shit, silicate, silver vitellin, sleep-inducer, sleeper, sleeping draught, sleeping pill, smack, social lubricant, sodium bicarbonate, sodium bromide, sodium chloride, sodium hypochlorite, sodium thiopental, somnifacient, soother, soothing syrup, soporific, spirits, strong drink, strong waters, sulfate, sulfide, sulfite, tar, tartrate, thalidomide, the Demon Rum, the bottle, the cup, the flowing bowl, the luscious liquor, the ruddy cup, thimerosal, thymol, tincture of iodine, tipple, toxicant, tranquilizer, turf, turpentine, turps, water, water of life, white stuff, yellow, yellow jacket