acrolein

[ uh-kroh-lee-in ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a yellow, flammable liquid, C 3 H 4 O, having a stifling odor, usually obtained by the decomposition of glycerol: used chiefly in the synthesis of commercial and pharmaceutical products.

acrolein

/ əˈkrəʊlɪɪn /

noun

1. a colourless or yellowish flammable poisonous pungent liquid used in the manufacture of resins and pharmaceuticals. Formula: CH 2 :CHCHO

Word History and Origins

Origin of acrolein¹

1855–60; < Latin ācr- (stem of ācer ) sharp + olē ( re ) to smell + -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of acrolein¹

C19: from Latin ācer sharp + olēre to smell + -in

Example Sentences

It was also found that e-cigarettes contain a number of dangerous chemicals including acetaldehyde, acrolein and formaldehyde.

From Los Angeles Times

Blood and urine will be screened for exposure to chemicals present or suspected to be present at the derailment, including dioxins, vinyl chloride, acrolein and butyl acrylate.

From Seattle Times

But the researchers did detect levels of acrolein — a chemical irritant that affects the eyes, skin and respiratory system — that were three times as high as those in downtown Pittsburgh, some 80 kilometres away.

From Scientific American

But acrolein levels were high enough in some places to raise long-term health concerns, said Albert Presto, a Carnegie Mellon mechanical engineering research professor.

From Seattle Times

Wood-burning devices emit pollutants known to make people sick, including fine particle pollution and chemicals like benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

From The Guardian