glycerol

See also: Glycerol and glycérol

English

Skeletal formula of glycerol.

Etymology

Etymology tree

Ancient Greek γλῠκερός (glŭkerós)

Proto-Indo-European *-nós

Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos

Proto-Italic *-īnos

Latin -īnus

French -in

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Italic *-ā

Latin -am

Old French -e

French -e

French -ine

French glycérine

English glycerine

Akkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor.

Aramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor.

Arabic كُحْل (kuḥl)

Andalusian Arabic اَلْكُحُول (al-kuḥūl)bor.

Medieval Latin alcoholder.

Middle English alcofol

English alcohol

English -ol

English glycerol

From glycerine + -ol.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɒl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɔl/
• (US, cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɑl/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

Noun

glycerol (countable and uncountable, plural glycerols)

1. (organic chemistry) 1,2,3-trihydroxy-propane or propan-1,2,3-triol; a trihydric alcohol
2. A syrupy sweet liquid obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of soap from animal or vegetable oils and fats; it is used as an antifreeze, a plasticizer, and a food sweetener and in the manufacture of dynamite, cosmetics etc.

Synonyms

• E422 when used as a sweetener
• glycerin
• glycerine

Derived terms

• alkylglycerol
• glycerolphosphate
• glycerol rhizotomy
• glycerol trinitrate
• glyceroluria
• glycerolysis
• glyceryl
• lactoglycerol
• monoalkylglycerol
• monothioglycerol
• nonglycerol
• phosphatidylglycerol
• phosphoglycerol
• polyglycerol
• thioglycerol
• triglycerol

Related terms

• glyceride

Translations

a sweet syrupy oily liquid

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 甘油 (zh) (gānyóu)

• French: glycérol (fr) m
• Japanese: グリセリン (ja) (guriserin), グリセロール (ja) (guriserōru)
• Korean: 글리세롤 (ko) (geulliserol)
• Māori: nonireka
• Polish: glicerol (pl) m