ketone

noun

ke·​tone ˈkē-ˌtōn 

: any of a class of organic compounds (such as acetone) characterized by a carbonyl group attached to two carbon atoms

ketonic

kē-ˈtä-nik 

adjective

Examples of ketone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

How to use a ketone test strip If using urine testing strips, the process is very simple. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

During ketosis, the body breaks down fat into ketones and uses them for fuel. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 12 Jan. 2026

About a decade ago, drinkable forms of ketones went on the market. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025

Others have tried shorter sardine-only runs as part of keto-style fasts or metabolic resets, aiming to boost ketones, control appetite or speed weight loss. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 2 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Keton, coinage based on Aceton acetone

Note: The German term Keton was apparently the coinage of the chemist Leopold Gmelin (1788-1853), who introduced it in Handbuch der organischen Chemie, 1. Band, 4. Auflage (Heidelberg, 1848), p. 40 passim. Gmelin characterized ketones as "Acetone im allgemeinen" ("acetones in general"), acetone being the smallest and simplest ketone.

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ketone

• ketone body
• methyl ethyl ketone

Medical Definition

ketone

noun

ke·​tone ˈkē-ˌtōn 

: an organic compound (as acetone) with a carbonyl group attached to two carbon atoms