Glycerin
/ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɪn/noun
A sweet, colorless, viscous liquid used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and explosives.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 19th century from Greek glykys, “sweet,” because glycerin tastes sweet, and it later became crucial in making nitroglycerin, one of history’s most powerful explosives.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
glykys
“sweet”
Late 18th Century
French
glycérine
“the sweet principle of fats, first isolated from oils and fats”
19th Century
French/Scientific Latin
glycérine / glycerinum
“the purified sweet, syrupy substance obtained from fats”
Modern English
English
glycerin
“a sweet, viscous liquid used in medicine, cosmetics, and industry”