butyl alcohol

noun

: any of four flammable alcohols C4H9OH (such as butanol) used in organic synthesis and as solvents

Examples of butyl alcohol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The new LyondellBasell plant will make propylene oxide, which is used to make bedding, carpeting, coatings, building materials and adhesives, and the by-product tertiary butyl alcohol, which is refined into an additive that makes fuels burn cleaner. Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, 25 Oct. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of butyl alcohol was circa 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Butyl alcohol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butyl%20alcohol. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

butyl alcohol

noun
: any of four flammable alcohols C4H9OH (as butanol) derived from butanes and used in organic synthesis and as solvents

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