glycerol

American  

[glis-uh-rawl, -rol] / ˈglɪs əˌrɔl, -ˌrɒl /

noun

1. a colorless, odorless, syrupy, sweet liquid, C 3 H 8 O 3 , usually obtained by the saponification of natural fats and oils: used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emollients.

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glycerol British  

/ ˈɡlɪsəˌrɒl /

noun

1. Also called (not in technical usage): glycerine.   glycerin.  a colourless or pale yellow odourless sweet-tasting syrupy liquid; 1,2,3-propanetriol: a by-product of soap manufacture, used as a solvent, antifreeze, plasticizer, and sweetener ( E422 ). Formula: C 3 H 8 O 3

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glycerol Scientific  

/ glĭs′ə-rôl′ /

1. A sweet, syrupy liquid obtained from animal fats and oils or by the fermentation of glucose. It is used as a solvent, sweetener, and antifreeze and in making explosives and soaps. Glycerol consists of a propane molecule attached to three hydroxyl (OH) groups. Also called glycerin, glycerine. Chemical formula: C ₃ H ₈ O ₃ .

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Etymology

Origin of glycerol

First recorded in 1880–85; glycer(in) + -ol ¹

Example Sentences

Invertebrates, however, were preserved using a wider range of liquids, including formalin, buffered solutions, or mixtures that contained additives such as glycerol.

From Science Daily • Mar. 5, 2026

They blended it with modified starch and bentonite nanoclay, then added glycerol and polyvinyl alcohol to improve durability and flexibility.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

In countries with no sugar tax, they contain much more glucose and often no glycerol at all, the authors say.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2025

Arla had to be rushed to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, where medical staff also told the family that glycerol in the Slush Puppie was the likely cause of her condition.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024

Maximal survival at -79° C. was obtained at the 7-percent glycerol level.

From Preservation of Bull Semen at Sub-Zero Temperatures by Friedman, M. E.