First Known Use: 1672
Dictionary
alcohol
noun al·co·hol \ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl\
: a clear liquid that has a strong smell, that is used in some medicines and other products, and that is the substance in liquors (such as beer, wine, or whiskey) that can make a person drunk
: drinks containing alcohol
Full Definition of ALCOHOL
1
a : ethanol especially when considered as the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors b : drink (as whiskey or beer) containing ethanol c : a mixture of ethanol and water that is usually 95 percent ethanol
2
: any of a class of organic compounds that are analogous to ethanol and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons
See alcohol defined for English-language learners
See alcohol defined for kids
Origin of ALCOHOL
New Latin, from Medieval Latin, powdered antimony, from Old Spanish, from Arabic al-kuḥul the powdered antimony, from kuḥl kohl
Related to ALCOHOL
- Synonyms
- aqua vitae, ardent spirits, booze, bottle, drink, firewater, grog, hooch [slang], inebriant, intoxicant, John Barleycorn, juice [slang], liquor, lush [slang], moonshine, potable, rum, sauce [slang], spirits, stimulant, strong drink, tipple
- Antonyms
- nonintoxicant
Other Alcoholic Beverage Terms
Rhymes with ALCOHOL
above all, aerosol, after all, all in all, altar call, barbital, basketball, body wall, borough hall, buckyball, butanol, butterball, buttonball, cannonball, carryall, caterwaul, cattle call, Chinese wall, city hall, climbing wall, conference call, cortisol, cover-all, coverall, crystal ball, curtain call, Demerol, disenthrall, Donegal, entresol, ethanol, evenfall, free-for-all, gasohol, girasole, gopher ball, Grand Guignol, haute école, hiring hall, judgment call, know-it-all, knuckleball, Komsomol, matzo ball, Mendenhall, methanol, music hall, Montreal, Nembutal, off-the-wall, overall, overcall, overhaul, paddleball, parasol, party wall, Pentothal, preinstall, protocol, racquetball, Seconal, Senegal, shopping mall, study hall, tattersall, tetherball, therewithal, timolol, uninstall, urban sprawl, volleyball, wailing wall, wake-up call, wall-to-wall, warts-and-all, waterfall, wherewithal
ALCOHOL Defined for Kids
alcohol
noun al·co·hol \ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl\
Definition of ALCOHOL for Kids
1
: a colorless flammable liquid that in one form is the substance in liquors (as beer, wine, or whiskey) that can make a person drunk
2
: a drink containing alcohol
Medical Dictionary
alcohol
noun al·co·hol \ˈal-kə-ˌhȯl\
Medical Definition of ALCOHOL
1
a : ethanol especially when considered as the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors b : drink (as whiskey or beer) containing ethanol c : a mixture of ethanol and water that is usually 95 percent ethanol
2
: any of various compounds that are analogous to ethanol in constitution and that are hydroxyl derivatives of hydrocarbons
Learn More About ALCOHOL
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