Alcool

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of chemical compound characterized by one or more hydroxyl (-OH) functional groups attached to a carbon atom, often used in beverages and as a solvent
2. A class of organic substances that includes ethanol, commonly known for its presence in alcoholic drinks and its use in various industrial applications
3. A diverse group of compounds with varying properties, containing one or more hydroxyl groups and utilized in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and fuel production

Etymology: "Alcool" is the French form of the English word "alcohol," and the two come from the same Arabic root, which is why they are doublets. The Arabic "al-kuḥl" referred to a fine powder, the kind of antimony-based eye cosmetic known in English as "kohl." Through alchemy, the term was extended to any substance obtained by distillation or sublimation, producing sense shifts that moved from powdered mineral to a refined essence. When the word passed into French, it kept this broader sense of a distilled spirit or essence, and "alcool" was borrowed into English in its French spelling. Over time, English narrowed "alcohol" to the intoxicating drink and, later, the chemical class defined by hydroxyl groups, while "alcool" survived as a French-derived variant with the same chemical meaning.

Synonyms: alcohol