noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɒl/
US:/ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɔl/
US, cot-caught-merger:/ˈɡlɪs.ə.rɑl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:G L IH1 S ER0 OW2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
1,2,3-trihydroxy-propane or propan-1,2,3-triol; a trihydric alcohol
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a sweet syrupy trihydroxy alcohol obtained by saponification of fats and oils
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: glycerin, glycerine
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: alcohol
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek γλῠκερός (glŭkerós) Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnus French -in Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-eh2 Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -am Old French -e French -e French -ine French glycérine English glycerine Akkadian 𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)bor. Aramaic כוחלא (kuḥlā)bor. Arabic كُحْل (kuḥl) Andalusian Arabic اَلْكُحُول (al-kuḥūl)bor. Medieval Latin alcoholder. Middle English alcofol English alcohol English -ol English glycerol From glycerine + -ol.
Across languages
Translations
7 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
甘油
(gānyóu)
— a sweet syrupy oily liquid
French:
glycérol
— a sweet syrupy oily liquid
Japanese:
グリセリン
(guriserin)
— a sweet syrupy oily liquid
Japanese:
グリセロール
(guriserōru)
— a sweet syrupy oily liquid
Korean:
글리세롤
(geulliserol)
— a sweet syrupy oily liquid