ALCOHOL

alcohol, alcoholic drink, alcoholic beverage, intoxicant, inebriant

(noun) a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent; “alcohol (or drink) ruined him”

alcohol

(noun) any of a series of volatile hydroxyl compounds that are made from hydrocarbons by distillation

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

alcohol (countable and uncountable, plural alcohols)

(organic compound, countable) Any of a class of organic compounds (such as ethanol) containing a hydroxyl functional group (-OH).

(colloquial) Ethanol.

(uncountable) Beverages containing ethanol, collectively.

(obsolete) Any very fine powder.

Synonyms

• See also alcoholic beverage

Source: Wiktionary

Al"co*hol, n. Etym: [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 bot 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. "Pharmacopoeia, 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.)

Definition: 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 (C2H5OH); methyl forms methyl alcohol (CH3.OH) or wood spirit; amyl forms amyl alcohol (C5H11.OH) or fusel oil, etc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition