methylated spirit
- noun
- /ˈmɛθəˌleɪtɪd ˈspɪrɪt/
- UK
:
espíritu metilado
- Many households keep methylated spirit in their cleaning supplies for its effectiveness as a solvent.
Examples
-
He was relieved that when he shook it, he could hear oil gurgling; but when he looked for the methylated spirits to light up, he discovered an empty bottle up on the top shelf of the scullery.
Fiction book (1997) -
He has told the nurses about it, and they have cleaned it with methylated spirit.
Fiction book (1996) -
The right hypochondrium was cleaned with methylated spirit.
Academic text (2007) -
To disinfect the table, she wiped it down with methylated spirit before preparing the food.
-
It is often used for cleaning surfaces and as a fuel in camping stoves, known as methylated spirit.
Synonyms
1
5.3
A strong liquid made unsafe to drink by adding chemicals used for cleaning and fuel
A strong alcohol used to clean skin before injections or surgery
How Flammable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally transparent in that it denotes a 'spirit' (alcohol) that has been 'methylated' (chemically treated), so a learner can infer it is a chemically altered alcohol. However, the specific consequence — that it is denatured/undrinkable and used as a solvent or fuel — depends on technical or cultural knowledge about 'methylation' and denatured alcohol, which a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably infer.
Etymology
Methylated spirit comes from the old word spirit for strong alcohol and methylated, meaning 'mixed with methyl', a poisonous alcohol. People added methyl to make the drink 'undrinkable' so it could be sold for 'fuel' and 'cleaning', and that is why the name now means alcohol made to be used, not drunk.