Meaning & use
bioethanol
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnical
Alcohol fuel made by fermenting plant material such as corn, sugar cane or wood waste, used mixed with or instead of gasoline.
Grammar: Used without an or plural: the plant produces bioethanol.
Patterns
- bioethanol from something
- bioethanol made from something
Brazil produces large amounts of bioethanol from sugar cane.
Many gas stations sell fuel blended with ten percent bioethanol.
Researchers are testing bioethanol made from agricultural waste.
Common combinations
- produce bioethanol
- The factory produces bioethanol from wheat.
- bioethanol production
- Bioethanol production has expanded rapidly.
- blend with bioethanol
- Gasoline is blended with bioethanol to reduce emissions.
- bioethanol from corn
- Bioethanol from corn is common in the United States.
- bioethanol fuel
- Some cars run on bioethanol fuel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ethanol
- Ethanol is the chemical itself, whatever its source, while bioethanol stresses it was made from plants.
- biofuel
- Biofuel is a broader term covering any fuel from living matter, including biodiesel.
- alcohol fuel
- Alcohol fuel is a plain description that could include methanol, while bioethanol names ethanol specifically.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bioethanol or biodiesel?
bioethanol vs biodiesel
Biodiesel is made from oils and fats for diesel engines, while bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation.
Practice
Fuel made by fermenting sugar cane for use in cars is called ____.
Choose one answer.
Bioethanol is an alcohol fuel from fermented plants. Biodiesel comes from oils, and kerosene and propane come from fossil sources.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bioethanol”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.