methanol

noun

meth·​a·​nol ˈme-thə-ˌnȯl 

-ˌnōl

: a light volatile flammable poisonous liquid alcohol CH₃OH used especially as a solvent, antifreeze, or denaturant for ethanol and in the synthesis of other chemicals

Examples of methanol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Four existing vessels use biofuels; another seven, designed to run on green methanol or green hydrogen, are on order. —Jessica Benavides Canepa, AFAR Media, 17 Apr. 2025

Green Molecules Will Emerge as the Building Blocks of the Future In 2025, investments in green molecule production, including green hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, and synthetic fuels, will grow significantly, driven by policy support and private funding. —Sarwant Singh, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

An American citizen has died at a popular adventure spot in Laos where alcohol tainted with methanol has been blamed for a spate of poisonings in recent days. —Mithil Aggarwal, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2024

Celanese shares have suffered a nearly 24% decline this year as the price of methanol — a substantial input cost in acetic acid prices — has been spiking for about 18 months due to global supply shortages. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 14 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for methanol

• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• catarrhal
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol

Kids Definition

methanol

noun

meth·​a·​nol ˈmeth-ə-ˌnȯl 

-ˌnōl

: a light flammable poisonous liquid alcohol that consists of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and is used especially as antifreeze and to dissolve things

Medical Definition

methanol

noun

meth·​a·​nol ˈmeth-ə-ˌnȯl  -ˌnōl 

: a light volatile pungent flammable poisonous liquid alcohol CH₃OH formed in the destructive distillation of wood or made synthetically and used especially as a solvent, antifreeze, or denaturant for ethanol and in the synthesis of other chemicals

called also carbinol, methyl alcohol, wood alcohol