Main Entry: ce·tyl alcohol

Pronunciation: \ˈsē-t^əl-\

Function: noun

Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary cet- (from Latin cetus whale) + -yl; from its occurrence in spermaceti

Date: 1863

: a waxy crystalline alcohol C₁₆H₃₄O obtained by the saponification of spermaceti or the hydrogenation of palmitic acid and used especially in pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations and in making detergents