methanol
noun
meth·a·nol
| \ ˈme-thə-ˌnȯl
, -ˌnōl\
, -ˌnōl\
Definition of methanol
: a light volatile flammable poisonous liquid alcohol CH3OH used especially as a solvent, antifreeze, or denaturant for ethanol and in the synthesis of other chemicals
Examples of methanol in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers around the world are already studying zeolites and other materials to convert methane to methanol, a valuable feedstock for the chemical industry. — Rob Jackson, Scientific American, "To Fight Climate Change, We Should Actually Add Carbon Dioxide to the Atmosphere," 31 July 2019 Consuming even a small amount of pure methanol can lead to pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, and respiratory distress — two of the official causes of death listed for Day and Holmes. — Stephie Grob Plante, Vox, "Tourist deaths in the Dominican Republic are sparking concern among travelers," 26 June 2019 Shortly after, the Kokuka Courageous, which was travelling to Singapore after picking methanol from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, also called for help after a fire broke out in the engine room. — SFChronicle.com, "Ship traffic, June 24," 24 June 2019 Lawrence Kobilinsky, a forensic science professor, told the New York Post the symptoms of some of the victims, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, were consistent with methanol poisoning. — Tiffany Diane Tso, refinery29.com, "What's Going On With Tourist Deaths In The Dominican Republic?," 15 June 2019 The Costa Rica Ministry of Health has issued a national alert after 19 people died from consuming alcohol tainted with toxic levels of methanol. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Tainted Alcohol Has Killed at Least 19 in Costa Rica as Health Officials Issue Warning," 22 July 2019 Earlier this year, toxic alcohol killed at least 154 people in India because it was tainted with methanol. — Monica H. Swahn, Quartz, "Fake alcohol is a deadly problem for tourists traveling abroad," 17 July 2019 The gases will then react to form methanol, an alternative fuel that can be used in cars. — Leah Asmelash And Brian Ries, CNN, "They want to create floating islands to convert sunlight into energy. Here's how they'd work," 17 June 2019 The Sant’Agostino samples contained compounds derived from methanol, which is usually given off by heated wood. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Neanderthals glued their tools together," 2 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'methanol.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for methanol
methanol
noun
English Language Learners Definition of methanol
technical
: a poisonous alcohol that is used to keep liquids from freezing, as a fuel, etc.
See the full definition for methanol in the English Language Learners Dictionary
methanol
noun
meth·a·nol
| \ ˈmeth-ə-ˌnȯl
, -ˌnōl
\
, -ˌnōl
\
Medical Definition of methanol
: a light volatile pungent flammable poisonous liquid alcohol CH3OH formed in the destructive distillation of wood or made synthetically and used especially as a solvent, antifreeze, or denaturant for ethanol and in the synthesis of other chemicals
— called also carbinol, methyl alcohol, wood alcohol
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