ethyl alcohol

noun

: a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid C₂H₅OH that is the intoxicating agent in liquors and is also used as a solvent and in fuel : ethanol

Denatured alcohol is simply ethyl alcohol that has been mixed with toxic or nauseating substances, called denaturants (these prevent the alcohol from being consumed).

—Martha Stewart

Made from ethyl alcohol, plant-based compounds and other natural ingredients known to have virucidal properties, this citrus-scented liquid formula fights germs and can help reduce the risk of infection.

—J. P. Anderson

When yeast cells, either cultivated or wild, come into contact with fresh must, especially that of grapes, and metabolize the must's complex natural sugars, ethyl alcohol is created.

—advertisement in The New York Times Magazine

Examples of ethyl alcohol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the report, the 22-year-old University of Missouri senior died of accidental drowning and ethyl alcohol intoxication. —Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2024

The amount of pure ethyl alcohol (the potable kind) produced daily is about one ounce. —Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023

The yeast consumes sugars and produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide as byproducts during the process called fermentation – that’s how the bourbon becomes alcoholic. —Michael W. Crowder, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023

Once your buds are wax- and dirt-free, rub them down with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or a 75% ethyl alcohol wipe. —Julia Ries, SELF, 27 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ethyl alcohol

noun

: ethanol

Medical Definition

ethyl alcohol

noun

: ethanol