Word
acetone
Phoneticsace·tone
US/ˈæsəˌtoʊn/
UK/ˈæsɪtˌəʊn/
Definition
n. a clear, colorless liquid with a strong smell. You often use it to clean your nails or remove paint because it dissolves things easily.
n. a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid ketone with a pungent odor. It is a common solvent used in nail polish removers, paint thinners, and industrial cleaning agents.
Examples
“She used acetone to remove the old nail polish.”
“The technician used a small amount of acetone to clean the glassware before the experiment began.”
“While acetone is a highly effective solvent for many plastics and resins, its volatility and flammability require strict safety protocols in laboratory and industrial environments.”
Examples
simple
“She used acetone to remove the old nail polish.”
contextual
“The technician used a small amount of acetone to clean the glassware before the experiment began.”
complex
“While acetone is a highly effective solvent for many plastics and resins, its volatility and flammability require strict safety protocols in laboratory and industrial environments.”
Real-World Examples
“In the laboratory study, researchers dissolved the chemical in acetone and applied it to pieces of wood.” Etymology
From acet- from acētum (“vinegar”). The -one was taken from margarone but further etymology is unclear. Doublet of ketone.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/acetone