Methanols

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of alcohol that contains one carbon atom and is primarily used as an industrial solvent and antifreeze
2. An organic compound represented by the formula CH3OH, commonly utilized in various chemical processes and as a fuel alternative
3. A simple alcohol known for its use in the production of formaldehyde and as a precursor in the synthesis of other chemicals

Etymology: "Methanols" is simply the plural of "methanol," the chemical name for the simplest alcohol. Its name is a blend of two parts. "Methane," the one-carbon hydrocarbon gas, supplies the first half, and "-ol," the suffix chemists use for alcohols, supplies the second. The more surprising story lies in the older name. French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot, after working out its chemical structure, coined "methylene" for the substance. They drew on Ancient Greek "méthu," meaning "wine," and "húlē," meaning "wood, material," to describe it as alcohol made from wood. The compound was originally obtained by heating wood, and the name was meant to record that origin.

Synonyms: methyl alcohols, wood alcohols