ethyl alcohol

Meaning

1. 1noununcountablechemistrytechnical

   A clear flammable liquid that is the main intoxicating substance in drinks and is also used as a fuel and solvent.

   Grammar: Uncountable: talk about 'some ethyl alcohol' or 'pure ethyl alcohol', not 'two ethyl alcohols'.

   Patterns

   • pure ethyl alcohol
   • a solution of ethyl alcohol
   • ethyl alcohol production

   The lab stored ethyl alcohol in a locked cabinet away from open flames.

   Fermentation of sugars by yeast produces ethyl alcohol.

   Hand sanitizers often contain ethyl alcohol at concentrations above sixty percent.

Common combinations

pure ethyl alcohol

The pharmacist ordered a bottle of pure ethyl alcohol for the mixture.

ethyl alcohol content

The label lists the ethyl alcohol content of the solution.

ethyl alcohol poisoning

Doctors treated the patient for ethyl alcohol poisoning after he drank too much.

denatured ethyl alcohol

Denatured ethyl alcohol has additives that make it unfit to drink.

Synonyms and how they differ

ethanol

The preferred scientific term; it is the same substance but sounds more modern and precise in chemistry writing.

alcohol

The everyday word for the drinkable substance; it can also refer to other chemical alcohols, so it is less exact than 'ethyl alcohol'.

grain alcohol

An informal name for the strong drinkable form, often used for vodka or neutral spirits rather than for industrial use.

Word family

ethanol noun

The standard chemical name for the same compound.

methyl alcohol noun

A related but poisonous alcohol, also called methanol.

Commonly confused: ethyl alcohol or methyl alcohol?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “ethyl alcohol”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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