methanol
noun/ˈmɛθənɒl/
Etymology From methane + -ol. French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot, after determining methanol's chemical structure, introduced "methylene" from the Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu, “wine”) + ὕλη (húlē, “wood, material”) with the intention of highlighting its origins, "alcohol made from wood (substance)".
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Chemistry, Natural sciences, Organic chemistry, Physical sciences The simplest aliphatic alcohol, CH₃OH; a colourless, toxic, inflammable liquid, used as a solvent, antifreeze, in the chemical industry, and in the preparation of methylated spirit.
- Eight staff members of a backpacker hostel in Laos have been detained by local authorities as they investigate the deaths of six foreign tourists from suspected methanol poisoning, according to state-affiliated media in the Southeast Asian country.2024 November 27, Jessie Yeung and Isaac Yee, “Laos detains foreign hostel staff over backpacker methanol poisonings as families and travelers demand answers”, in CNN:
- Synonyms
- methyl alcohol, methyl hydrate, methyl hydroxide, methylol, monohydroxymethane, wood alcohol, wood naphtha, wood spirits
- Derived terms
- diphenylmethanol, methanolic, methanolized, phenanthrenemethanol, quinolinemethanol, triphenylmethanol