Definition

Noun: * A colorless, volatile, water-soluble liquid aldehyde with the chemical formula CH₃CHO. It is a significant industrial chemical used primarily as a precursor in the manufacture of acetic acid, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals.

Usage

• Ethanal is the systematic IUPAC name for the compound more commonly known as acetaldehyde.
• It is used as a technical term in chemistry, industrial manufacturing, and scientific literature.
• Example: "The oxidation of ethanol produces ethanal as an intermediate."

Examples

• "The primary use of ethanal is in the production of acetic acid."
• "In organic chemistry labs, students often learn to identify ethanal by its characteristic pungent smell."
• "The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase converts ethanol to ethanal in the liver."

Advanced Usage

• In biochemistry, ethanal is a toxic metabolite formed during the breakdown of alcohol in the human body.
• Ethanal is a key building block in many chemical synthesis processes.

Variants and Related Words

• Acetaldehyde: The common name for ethanal. These terms are used interchangeably, with "acetaldehyde" being more frequent in general scientific and industrial contexts.
• Aldehyde: The class of organic compounds to which ethanal belongs.

Synonyms

• Acetaldehyde
• Acetic aldehyde (an older, less common name)

Notes on Meaning

• The word ethanal refers specifically to the pure chemical compound. It does not have idiomatic or figurative meanings outside of scientific contexts. There are no associated phrasal verbs or idioms.

Noun

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