rubbing alcohol

noun

: a cooling and soothing liquid for external application that contains approximately 70 percent denatured ethanol or isopropanol

Examples of rubbing alcohol in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dabbing the cloth in rubbing alcohol, working away the dirty blots on the glass, waiting for the haze in my head to focus, and a new line to come to me. —Literary Hub, 8 June 2026

It should be placed in a leak-proof container with rubbing alcohol to kill the parasite. —Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026

Dip a cotton swab into 70 percent rubbing alcohol and dab it directly onto the mealybug to kill it, then remove it from the leaf, says VanWyk. —Lauren David, Martha Stewart, 29 May 2026

For stains on upholstered couches labeled S or WS, blot the stain with a water-free solvent such as rubbing alcohol. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rubbing alcohol

• chloramphenicol
• dithiothreitol
• geospatial
• isopropanol
• paracetamol
• peroxisomal
• visuospatial
• aerosol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball

Kids Definition

rubbing alcohol

noun

: a cooling and soothing solution for use on the outside of the body that contains an alcohol and water

Medical Definition

rubbing alcohol

noun

rub·​bing alcohol ˈrəb-iŋ-ˌ 

: a cooling and soothing liquid for external application that contains approximately 70 percent denatured ethanol or isopropyl alcohol