Main Entry:

al·co·hol

Pronunciation:

\ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin, from Medieval Latin, powdered antimony, from Old Spanish, from Arabic al-kuḥul the powdered antimony, from kuḥl 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 ethanol2: any of a class of organic compounds that are analogous to ethanol and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons