glycerol

See also: Glycerol and glycérol

English

Skeletal formula of glycerol.

Alternative forms

• glycerole (dated)

Etymology

From glycerine +‎ -ol.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɒl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɔl/
• (US, cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɑl/

  • Audio (General American, cot–caught merger):

    (file)

Noun

glycerol (countable and uncountable, plural glycerols)

1. (organic chemistry) 1,2,3-trihydroxy-propane or propan-1,2,3-triol; a trihydric alcohol
2. A syrupy sweet liquid obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of soap from animal or vegetable oils and fats; it is used as an antifreeze, a plasticizer, and a food sweetener and in the manufacture of dynamite, cosmetics etc.

Synonyms

• E422 when used as a sweetener
• glycerin
• glycerine

Derived terms

• glycerol rhizotomy
• glycerol trinitrate
• phosphatidylglycerol

 

Related terms

• glyceride

Translations

a sweet syrupy oily liquid

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 甘油 (zh) (gānyóu)

• French: glycérol (fr) m
• Japanese: グリセリン (ja) (guriserin), グリセロール (ja) (guriserōru)
• Korean: 글리세롤 (ko) (geulliserol)
• Maori: nonireka
• Polish: glicerol (pl) m