alcohol
The origin and history of alcohol.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin alcohol, from Arabic al-kuhl, originally referring to a fine powder (kohl eyeliner). The meaning shifted over centuries — first to "any fine powder," then to distilled spirits, and finally, by the 1800s, to the specific chemical ethanol.
Class of 1800
alcohol first entered the language around 1800. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1800 →