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Alcohol,
àl'kõhöl, a chemical compound composed of carbon atoms, hydrogen
atoms, and one or more hydroxyl groups. (A hydroxyl group consist
of two atoms - one of hydrogen and one of hydrogen - that
act as one.) The term "alcohol" is commonly used to designate
the specific alcohol (ethyl alcohol) that makes fermented
distilled liquors intoxicating. Ethyl alcohol is also known as ethanol
and grain alcohol.
The term "alcohol" comes from the Arabic al-kuhl, which denotes a powdered form of antimony sulfide used by women to darken their eyelids. Because this powder was so fine it could hardly be felt, the word al-kuhl came to refer to an easily vaporized liquid (which cannot be felt while it is evaporating), and thus to spirits of wine. In many other countries, ethyl alcohol and alcoholic beverages are highly taxed and are under strict government control. When taken in excess, ethyl alcohol can become habit-forming. Damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, and other organs can result. Ethyl alcohol (knows as alcohol from now) can be divided into a few groups such as:
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