Glycerol
/ˈɡlɪsə.rɒl/noun
A colorless, sweet, viscous alcohol used in foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
Did you know?Glycerol was named from Greek glykys (“sweet”), and the same root also gave English glucose, a reminder that chemistry often preserves the oldest words for taste and power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
γλυκύς (glykýs)
“sweet”
Late Latin
Latin
glyc- / glycer-
“sweet; used in scientific coinages”
18th Century
French
glycérine
“glycerin, the sweet principle of fats”
19th Century
English
glycerol
“the trihydric alcohol obtained from fats and oils”
Modern English
English
glycerol
“a sweet, viscous alcohol used in industrial and medical applications”