Ethanol Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

ethanol

noun

eth·​a·​nol ˈe-thə-ˌnȯl How to pronounce ethanol (audio) -ˌnōl How to pronounce ethanol (audio)
 British also  ˈē-
: a colorless volatile flammable liquid C2H5OH that is the intoxicating agent in liquors and is also used as a solvent and in fuel

called also ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol

Examples of ethanol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For example, the museum has ethanol collections in jars that are subject to legal restrictions when they're moved. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 Much of the ethanol dissipates, leaving you with a flaky pie crust minus the alcohol flavor. Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023 The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced February 29 that Heritage Store Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash is being recalled for a lack of child-resistant packaging required for products containing a certain concentration of ethanol. John Towfighi, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Both of these efforts have increased the use of ethanol, a less-efficient fuel for transportation, while displacing acreage available for food and/or feed crops. Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2024 The company is also responding to a lawsuit over allegations of price manipulation involving its trading of ethanol. Gerson Freitas Jr., Fortune, 22 Jan. 2024 According to an autopsy report obtained by the outlet, there was evidence of ethanol in the athlete's bloodstream at the time of the accident and his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was estimated to be 0.124. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 Those states grow the bulk of the U.S. corn crop and are home to much of the nation's ethanol production. By scott McFetridge, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 Summit Carbon Solutions, backed by billionaire Harold Hamm, has a consortium of ethanol plants in the Midwest that intend to capture their carbon emissions (from fermentation) and send them via hundreds of miles of pipelines to North Dakota for injection into the ground. Christopher Helman, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ethanol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ethanol was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near ethanol

Cite this Entry

“Ethanol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethanol. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ethanol

noun
eth·​a·​nol ˈeth-ə-ˌnȯl How to pronounce ethanol (audio)
-ˌnōl
: a colorless flammable easily evaporated liquid that is used to dissolve things and that is the substance in fermented and distilled liquors that can make one drunk

called also ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol

Medical Definition

ethanol

noun
eth·​a·​nol ˈeth-ə-ˌnȯl How to pronounce ethanol (audio) -ˌnōl How to pronounce ethanol (audio)
: a colorless volatile flammable liquid C2H5OH that is the intoxicating agent in liquors and is also used as a solvent

called also ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol

see alcohol sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on ethanol

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