noun
methanol
MEH-thuh-nol
noun
1
A simple, toxic alcohol (CH3OH) used as a solvent, fuel, and antifreeze.
"Methanol poisoning can cause blindness if untreated."
"Some race cars run on methanol instead of petrol."
How to Use Methanol
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA toxic alcohol used in industry, not for drinking.
Common mistake
Methanol is poisonous and must never be confused with ethanol, the alcohol in drinks — swapping them has caused fatal poisonings.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
methanols plural
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_____ poisoning can cause blindness if untreated.
Etymology
From methane + -ol (the suffix used for alcohols). The name traces back to French chemists in the 1800s who described it as "wood alcohol" using Greek roots for "wine" and "wood".