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Glite Dictionary
methyl alcohol

methyl alcohol

1 6.7
A poisonous clear liquid that burns easily and is used to stop freezing, to dissolve things, and as fuel
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛθəl ˈæl.kə.hɔl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : alcohol metílico
  • The laboratory ordered several liters of methyl alcohol for their experiments.

Examples

  • Don't drink methyl alcohol!

  • Car radiators in cold climates often use methyl alcohol as an antifreeze.

  • Improper handling of methyl alcohol can result in severe poisoning and even death.

  • The lab uses methyl alcohol as a solvent.

  • Methyl alcohol is often used as a methyl alcohol in laboratories due to its effective properties.

  • Due to its toxicity, methyl alcohol must be handled with care in industrial settings.

  • The chemist utilized methyl alcohol as a denaturant to prevent the misuse of ethyl alcohol.

Synonyms

methanol
vsmethyl alcohol
17 6.5

A light poisonous alcohol used as fuel, solvent, and antifreeze

is the common name used outside strict technical contexts
wood alcohol
vsmethyl alcohol
  • Archaic
1 7.1

A poisonous, flammable liquid once made from wood that people use as fuel or solvent

is the general chemical name without highlighting historical production
wood spirit
vsmethyl alcohol
  • Specialized
9.4

A poisonous alcohol people make by heating wood, used as fuel or solvent

is the neutral chemical label that omits historical sourcing

Surface Forms

methyl alcohol singular
methyl alcohols plural

Morphology

methyl + alcohol

The term is a straightforward compositional chemical name: 'methyl' (a CH3 group) + 'alcohol' denotes an alcohol containing a methyl group (i.e. methanol). This follows standard naming patterns in chemistry and many languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it is a specific kind of alcohol (though details like toxicity are specialized knowledge).

Etymology

Methyl alcohol is named from its parts: methyl means a very small chemical group with only one carbon atom, and alcohol is the same family name as the alcohol in drinks. Because it is the smallest kind of alcohol but is 'poisonous' and not for 'drinking', methyl alcohol is used as an antifreeze, solvent, and fuel.