denatured alcohol
1
5.3
- noun
- /ˈdiːˌneɪtʃərd ˈæl.kə.hɔl/
- Specialized
:
alcohol desnaturalizado
- Clear drinking alcohol or denatured alcohol can both work; an online search will turn up more specific instructions.
- denatured alcohol to clean
Examples
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Stains can be removed by applying denatured alcohol after cleaning your desk surface with mild soap and water.
Blog text (30) -
Take a gallon of denatured alcohol, pour it in the powder.
Academic text (2006) -
Note that you can't use just any alcohol; it has to be a denatured alcohol or at least 95% alcohol.
Blog text (9) -
Some Sikaiana people claim that occasionally they drink denatured alcohol, which is sold as a starting fluid for pressure lamps.
Academic text (1994) -
So I'll use a swab with denatured alcohol and water to soften and remove the excess filling material.
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Half-filled with denatured alcohol, then lit, the stove fires full blast until it burns through its fuel.
Academic text (2004) -
Cover 1000 (30 milligram) ground pseudoephedrine pills with 3-4 inches of denatured alcohol or pure grain alcohol, and let sit for at least several hours.
Academic text (2006) -
Secondary ingredients can include camping stove fuel, denatured alcohol, ether, table salt, and drain cleaner, all of which are readily available at supermarkets, automotive supply stores, or from general merchandisers.
Academic text (2006) -
To prepare a wood surface for painting, clean it first with denatured alcohol and then apply a standard wood sealer.
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Stains can be removed by applying denatured alcohol after cleaning your desk surface with mild soap and water.
Synonyms
Alcohol made unsafe to drink by adding poisons and used for cleaning or as a fuel
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally predictable: 'denatured' = made to change or rendered unfit, and 'alcohol' = ethanol, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is alcohol that has been chemically altered/made unfit for drinking. The construction is also paralleled in other languages (e.g. French 'alcool dénaturé', Spanish 'alcohol desnaturalizado'), supporting straightforward comprehension.
Etymology
Denatured alcohol comes from the idea of changing the 'nature' of alcohol: people add bitter or harmful chemicals so the alcohol is denatured and becomes 'not for drinking'. That's why denatured alcohol is used for cleaning, fuel, and industrial work rather than as a drink.