methanol

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methanol

/ˈmɛθənɒl/

Where it comes from

From methane + -ol.

French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot, after determining methanol's chemical structure, introduced "methylene" from the Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu, “wine”) + ὕλη (húlē, “wood, material”) with the intention of highlighting its origins, "alcohol made from wood (substance)".

noun methanols

countable, uncountable The simplest aliphatic alcohol, CH₃OH; a colourless, toxic, inflammable liquid, used as a solvent, antifreeze, in the chemical industry, and in the preparation of methylated spirit. Eight staff members of a backpacker hostel in Laos have been detained by local authorities as they investigate the deaths of six foreign tourists from suspected methanol poisoning, according to state-affiliated media in the Southeast Asian country.
Similar: methyl alcohol, methyl hydrate, methyl hydroxide, methylol, monohydroxymethane, wood alcohol, wood naphtha, wood spirits

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: wood alcohol, methyl alcohol, wood spirit, dichloromethane, methane, methyl, benzene, chloroform, trifluoride, mark, meoh, carbinol, wood naphtha, methyl hydrate, wood spirits, pyroxylic spirit

Translations

Every language

noun the simplest aliphatic alcohol, CH3OH

Español	metanol
日本語	メタノール metanōru
中文	甲醇 jiǎchún
Português	metanol, álcool metílico
Français	méthanol, alcool de bois
Deutsch	Methanol
Italiano	metanolo
Ελληνικά	μεθανόλη methanóli
Română	metanol
Русский	метано́л metanól
Tiếng Việt	rượu mạnh gỗ, cồn gỗ

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MLA

"methanol." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/methanol. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

methanol. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/methanol

Chicago

"methanol." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/methanol.

BibTeX

@misc{methanol_2026,
  title = {methanol},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/methanol},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}