glycol
- noun
- /ˈɡlaɪˌkɔl/
- Specialized
- This is de icing fluid, a heated mixture of glycol and water.
- ethylene glycol
- polyethylene glycol
- propylene glycol
The the liquid is a mixture of glycol and distilled water.
- The the liquid is a mixture of glycol and distilled water.
Examples
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Rugged inline flow meters are suitable for applications using water, water/glycol coolant, and other low-viscosity fluids.
Academic text (2011) -
We quit heating the glycol to save water and power, so that's not helping.
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Frequently, water is the barrier fluid, but other substances, such as ethylene glycol or oil, can also be used.
Academic text (1999) -
Wet seal pump is equipped with a double seal arrangement where the seal is contained in an ethylene glycol reservoir.
Academic text (1996) -
But propylene glycol works as an additive to your tears, which helps spread across the eye evenly and protect the mucous membranes of the eye.
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The garage's heating system uses glycol to prevent the pipes from freezing during winter.
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Ethylene glycol is commonly added to car radiators as an antifreeze solution.
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Many industrial applications utilize glycol for its properties as a solvent and coolant.
Synonyms
A chemical with two OH groups in each molecule, like ethylene glycol
A chemical that has two OH groups on different carbon atoms
Compounds
- Specialized
A sweet colorless poisonous liquid used in car antifreeze and to dissolve other substances
- Specialized
A sweet, colorless liquid people use in antifreeze and skin creams to keep them moist
How Effective
Surface Forms
Morphology
glycol = glyco + ol
Formed from the specialized combining form 'glyco-' and the chemical suffix '-ol', which are technical morphemes unfamiliar to average B1 learners, so the meaning is not derivable from common English vocabulary.
Etymology
The word glycol comes from the Greek root glyk- meaning 'sweet' and the chemical ending -ol meaning 'alcohol', like the root in glucose, which is a sugar, and the ending in ethanol. So a glycol is literally a 'sweet alcohol', a kind of alcohol used as antifreeze or a solvent, which explains its modern meaning.