alcohol

English Online Dictionary. What means alcohol‎? What does alcohol mean?

English

Etymology

First attested in the 15 century from Middle English alcofol, from Middle French alcohol or Spanish alcohol, derived from the Medieval Latin rendering alcohol transmitted in medical or alchemical literature of Arabic اَلْكُحْل (al-kuḥl, “kohl”), which in Andalusian Arabic also bore the form كُحُول (kuḥūl), قُحُول (quḥūl); bearing thus the meaning of stibnite first, then generalized in meaning to a powder obtained by triturating a material, then also to liquids obtained by boiling down, and specialized to mean spirit of wine, ethanol, in the 18th century, then the narrow chemical sense after 1850. Doublet of alcool and kohl.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.kə.hɒl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈæl.kə.hɔl/, /ˈæl.kə.hɑl/
  • (US, nonstandard) IPA^(key): /ˈɑl.kə.hɔl/, /ˈɑl.kə.hɑl/
• Hyphenation: al‧co‧hol

Noun

alcohol (countable and uncountable, plural alcohols)

2. (organic chemistry, countable) Any of a class of organic compounds (such as ethanol) containing a hydroxyl functional group (-OH).
3. (pharmacology, colloquial) Ethanol.
4. (uncountable) Beverages containing ethanol, collectively.
5. (obsolete) Any very fine powder.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:alcoholic beverage

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Arabic: كُحُول (kuḥūl)
• → Korean: 알코올 (alkool), 알콜 (alkol)
• → Malay: alkohol
• → Swahili: alkoholi
• → Tok Pisin: alkohol

Translations

References

Asturian

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcoholes)

1. alcohol

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [əl.kuˈɔl]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [əl.koˈɔl]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [al.koˈɔl]

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcohols)

1. (organic chemistry, countable) alcohol
2. (uncountable) alcohol

Related terms

• alcohòlic
• alcoholisme

Further reading

• “alcohol” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Dutch

Alternative forms

• alkohol (superseded)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alcohol or Spanish alcohol, of Arabic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑl.koːˌɦɔl/
• Hyphenation: al‧co‧hol

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcoholen)

1. (countable, organic chemistry) alcohol (class of compounds)
2. (uncountable) alcohol (ethanol specifically)

   De suikers worden omgezet in alcohol. ― The sugars are converted into alcohol.

3. (uncountable) alcoholic beverages, collectively

   Synonym: drank

   Hyponym: sterke drank

   Hij zit iets te vaak aan de alcohol. ― He drinks alcoholic beverages a bit too often.

Derived terms

Related terms

• -ol

Descendants

• Afrikaans: alkohol
• → Indonesian: alkohol
• → Japanese: アルコール (arukōru)
  • → Pohnpeian: ahrkohl

French

Pronunciation

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcohols)

1. (rare) Alternative spelling of alcool

Galician

Alternative forms

• alcol
• álcool (reintegrationist)

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcohois)

1. alcohol

Related terms

• alcohólico
• alcoholismo

Further reading

• “alcohol”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2024

Interlingua

Noun

alcohol (uncountable)

1. alcohol (ethanol)

Related terms

• alcoholic

Latin

Etymology

From Andalusian Arabic اَلْكُحُول (al-kuḥūl), اَلْقُحُول (al-quḥūl), earlier اَلْكُحْل (al-kuḥl, “kohl”). Ultimately from Akkadian.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ko.hol/, [ˈäɫ̪ko(ɦ)ɔɫ̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈal.ko.ol/, [ˈälkoːl]

Noun

alcohol n (genitive alcoholis); third declension

1. (Medieval Latin) kohl, collyrium, stibium
2. (Medieval Latin) any other powder obtained from triturating a material

   alcohol ferrī ― rubbed file dust of iron

3. (Medieval Latin) distilled essence, spirit
4. (Medieval Latin) alcohol

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

Derived terms

• alcoholicus

Descendants

References

• alcohol in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Old French

Noun

alcohol oblique singular, m (oblique plural alcohous or alcohox or alcohols, nominative singular alcohous or alcohox or alcohols, nominative plural alcohol)

1. alcohol

Descendants

• Middle French: alcohol
  • French: alcohol, alcool (see there for further descendants)
  • → Middle English: alcofol
    • English: alcohol (see there for further descendants)

Romanian

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcoholi)

1. Obsolete form of alcool.

Declension

References

• alcohol in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN

Spanish

Etymology

From Andalusian Arabic اَلْكُحُول (al-kuḥū́l), from Arabic اَلْكُحْل (al-kuḥl, “kohl”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (common) /alˈkol/ [alˈkol]
  • Rhymes: -ol
• IPA^(key): (careful speech) /alkoˈol/ [al.koˈol]
  • Rhymes: -ol
• Syllabification: al‧co‧hol

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcoholes)

1. alcohol
2. (mineralogy) galena
3. (cosmetics) kohl, stibnite

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Basque: alkohol
• → Quechua: alkul

Further reading

• “alcohol”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Welsh

Etymology

From English alcohol, from Middle French alcohol or Spanish alcohol, from the Medieval Latin rendering alcohol of Arabic اَلْكُحْل (al-kuḥl, “kohl”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈalkɔhɔl/

Noun

alcohol m (plural alcoholau)

1. (alcoholic beverages) alcohol

   Synonym: gwirf

Derived terms

• alcoholaidd (“alcoholic”)
• alcoholig (“alcoholic”)
• alcoholiaeth (“alcoholism”)
• dialcohol (“alcohol-free”)
• heb alcohol (“alcohol-free”)

Related terms

• diod feddwol (“intoxicating drink”)
• diod gadarn (“strong drink”)

Mutation

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “alcohol”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies