rubbing alcohol

noun

: a cooling and soothing liquid for external application that contains approximately 70 percent denatured ethanol or isopropanol

Examples of rubbing alcohol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dabbing the cloth in rubbing alcohol, working away the dirty blots on the glass, waiting for the haze in my head to focus, and a new line to come to me. — Literary Hub, 8 June 2026

Other alternatives to vinegar and water or store-bought include rubbing alcohol. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 2 July 2026

The personnel there will provide further instructions on what to do with the specimen, whether freezing it or preserving it in rubbing alcohol. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 June 2026

Most experts recommend a solution of watered down rubbing alcohol as an effective and safe stain remover for quartz countertops. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rubbing alcohol

• chloramphenicol
• dithiothreitol
• geospatial
• isopropanol
• paracetamol
• peroxisomal
• visuospatial
• aerosol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball

Kids Definition

rubbing alcohol

noun

: a cooling and soothing solution for use on the outside of the body that contains an alcohol and water

Medical Definition

rubbing alcohol

noun

rub·​bing alcohol ˈrəb-iŋ-ˌ 

: a cooling and soothing liquid for external application that contains approximately 70 percent denatured ethanol or isopropyl alcohol