alcohol

/'ælkəhɔl/

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Thân thiện

Definition

Noun:
- A chemical substance: Any of a large class of organic compounds characterized by one or more hydroxyl (-OH) groups attached to a carbon atom. Ethanol is the most common type.
- An intoxicating beverage: A drink, such as beer, wine, or spirits, that contains ethanol, produced by fermenting sugars with yeast.

Usage

As a chemical compound:
- The laboratory uses pure alcohol as a solvent.
- Isopropyl alcohol is commonly used as a disinfectant.
As a beverage:
- The law prohibits the sale of alcohol to minors.
- He decided to avoid alcohol for health reasons.

Advanced Usage

"Under the influence of alcohol": Legally or medically intoxicated by drinking alcoholic beverages.
- He was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
"Denatured alcohol": Ethanol that has additives to make it poisonous and unfit for consumption, used as a solvent or fuel.
- Denatured alcohol is used in camping stoves.

Variants and Related Words

Alcoholic (adj): Containing or related to alcohol.
- Alcoholic beverages are taxed heavily.
Alcoholic (n): A person who suffers from alcoholism, a chronic disorder involving compulsive alcohol use.
- He sought help at a meeting for alcoholics.
Alcoholism (n): An addiction to the consumption of alcoholic liquor; the disease characterized by this addiction.
Non-alcoholic (adj): Containing no alcohol.
- She ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail.

Synonyms

Ethanol (n): The specific type of alcohol in alcoholic drinks; also called ethyl alcohol.
Spirits (n): Strong distilled alcoholic liquor (e.g., whiskey, vodka).
Liquor (n): A distilled alcoholic beverage.
Booze (n, informal): Alcoholic drink.

Related Phrases

Proof against alcohol: A measure of the strength of an alcoholic beverage, with "proof" being roughly double the percentage of alcohol by volume.
- This whiskey is 80 proof, meaning it contains 40% alcohol.

Idioms

Dutch courage: False courage gained from drinking alcohol.
- He had a shot of whiskey for Dutch courage before his speech.(Note: The word 'alcohol' itself is not commonly used in a wide range of phrasal verbs or idioms. The related idioms typically involve the act of drinking or the state of intoxication, using words like "drink" instead.)

Noun

any of a series of volatile hydroxyl compounds that are made from hydrocarbons by distillation
a liquor or brew containing alcohol as the active agent
- alcohol (or drink) ruined him

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