acetaldehyde

noun

ac·​et·​al·​de·​hyde ˌa-sə-ˈtal-də-ˌhīd 

: a colorless volatile water-soluble liquid aldehyde C₂H₄O used chiefly in organic synthesis

Examples of acetaldehyde in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some chemicals produced by e-cigarettes include formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which are known to cause both lung and heart disease. —Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025

The idea behind including probiotics in some of these products is that, theoretically, ingesting bacteria that contain enzymes that destroy acetaldehyde in the stomach may help prevent hangover symptoms. —Stacey Colino, Time, 22 Aug. 2025

Once in the body, alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde — a carcinogen also found in tobacco smoke. —Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 22 May 2025

When alcohol breaks down, its first byproduct is acetaldehyde, a chemical that is itself classified as a carcinogen. —Pranoti Mandrekar, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Acetaldehyd, from acet- acet- + Aldehyd aldehyde

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for acetaldehyde

• acetanilide
• arabinoside
• cycloheximide
• cyclophosphamide
• diethylamide
• dinucleotide
• ferricyanide
• ferrocyanide
• glutaraldehyde
• glyceraldehyde
• hydroperoxide
• interstratified

Medical Definition

acetaldehyde

noun

ac·​et·​al·​de·​hyde ˌas-ə-ˈtal-də-ˌhīd 

: a colorless volatile water-soluble liquid aldehyde C₂H₄O used chiefly in organic synthesis that can cause irritation to mucous membranes