alcohol

noun

al·​co·​hol ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl How to pronounce alcohol (audio)
1
a
: ethanol especially when considered as the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors
b
: drink (such as whiskey or beer) containing ethanol
c
: a mixture of ethanol and water that is usually 95 percent ethanol
2
: any of a class of organic (see organic entry 1 sense 1b(2)) compounds that are analogous to ethanol and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons

Examples of alcohol in a Sentence

cough medicine that contains alcohol drinks that are high in alcohol There was a high level of alcohol in his blood at the time of the accident. a mixture of different alcohols The restaurant had a license to serve alcohol.
Recent Examples on the Web Does drug and alcohol use increase the chances of harm? Christine Spolar, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Halls was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, had to participate in a firearms safety class, complete 24 hours of community service and not use drugs or alcohol. Cheri Mossburg, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors said Reid had a serum blood alcohol content of 0.113 about two hours after the crash. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024 Because drugs and alcohol are a symptom of a much deeper issue. David Oliver, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 De Rosa joins Safety Shot, manufacturer of a blood alcohol detox beverage, with more than 25 years of experience in financial services. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 One of them, Chad Meredith, 18, drowned in Lake Osceola, near the University of Miami campus, after Kappa Sigma leaders encouraged him to drink an excessive amount of alcohol at their fraternity house to later go for a swim in November 2001. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Many scenes showed her family members confronting Williams over alcohol use. Joelle Goldstein, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024 The following day, around 20 witnesses took the stand with a friend of Alves' who was in his company on the night of the incident explaining that Alves drank a lot of alcohol ahead of entering the Sutton nightclub. Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alcohol.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Medieval Latin, powdered antimony, from Old Spanish, from Arabic al-kuḥul the powdered antimony, from kuḥl kohl

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of alcohol was in 1672

Dictionary Entries Near alcohol

Cite this Entry

“Alcohol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alcohol. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

alcohol

noun
al·​co·​hol ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl How to pronounce alcohol (audio)
1
a
: ethanol especially when used as the substance in fermented or distilled liquors (as beer or whiskey) that can make one drunk
b
: drink (as beer, wine, or whiskey) containing ethanol
2
: any of various carbon compounds that are similar to ethanol in having one or more hydroxyl groups

Medical Definition

alcohol

noun
al·​co·​hol ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl How to pronounce alcohol (audio)
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 ethanol
2
: any of various compounds that are analogous to ethanol in constitution and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons

More from Merriam-Webster on alcohol

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