To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of cetyl alcohol
: a waxy crystalline alcohol C16H34O obtained by the saponification of spermaceti or the hydrogenation of palmitic acid and used especially in pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations and in making detergents
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
Semantic Drift Quiz
- Which of the following was once a synonym for fun?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share cetyl alcohol
Time Traveler for cetyl alcohol
The first known use of cetyl alcohol was in 1863
See more words from the same year