Definition

Noun 1. A colorless, volatile, water-soluble liquid aldehyde: A specific organic chemical compound with the formula CH₃CHO. It is characterized by its lack of color, its tendency to evaporate easily at room temperature (volatility), and its ability to dissolve in water. 2. A chemical used chiefly in manufacturing: This compound is primarily an industrial intermediate, most notably used in the large-scale production of acetic acid. It is also used in the synthesis of various perfumes, flavorings, resins, and pharmaceuticals.

Usage Examples

• As a chemical substance:
  • The distinct smell of acetaldehyde is sometimes detected in overripe fruit.
  • In the body, ethanol is metabolized first into acetaldehyde.
• As an industrial material:
  • The primary industrial use of acetaldehyde is in the manufacture of acetic acid.
  • This perfume ingredient is synthesized from acetaldehyde.

Advanced Usage

• Biochemical Context: In human metabolism, acetaldehyde is a toxic intermediate produced when the liver breaks down (oxidizes) ethanol (drinking alcohol). Its accumulation is responsible for many negative effects of alcohol consumption.
• Polymer Chemistry: Acetaldehyde can undergo polymerization to form paraldehyde, a former sedative, and metaldehyde, a common slug and snail poison.

Variants and Related Words

• Ethanal (n): The systematic IUPAC name for acetaldehyde.
• Aldehyde (n): The general class of organic compounds to which acetaldehyde belongs, characterized by a carbonyl group (C=O) bonded to at least one hydrogen atom.

Synonyms

• Ethanal (Technical synonym)
• Acetic aldehyde (Older/alternative name)

Related Phrases and Terms

• Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase: The enzyme responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde into acetic acid in the body.
• Aldehyde group: The functional group (-CHO) present in acetaldehyde and other aldehydes.

Noun

1. a colorless volatile water-soluble liquid aldehyde used chiefly in the manufacture of acetic acid and perfumes and drugs