acrolein

noun

acro·​le·​in ə-ˈkrō-lē-ən 

: a colorless irritant pungent liquid aldehyde C₃H₄O used chiefly in organic synthesis

Examples of acrolein in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That's because acrolein wasn’t among the chemicals that spilled or burned after the train jumped the tracks. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 12 July 2023

In the paper, researchers detected significant levels of 31 toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde, acrolein, propylene oxide, and previously undetected glycidol present. —Samantha Cole, Popular Science, 27 July 2016

Both forms of cigarette use caused the presence of much higher levels of dangerous chemicals in the users’ bodies, including acrylonitrile, acrolein, propylene oxide, acrylamide and crotonaldehyde, the team reported. —Benjamin Fearnow, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2018

Those who used both types of cigarette had significantly higher levels of dangerous chemicals, including acrylonitrile, acrolein, propylene oxide, acrylamide and crotonaldehyde, the team reported. —Maggie Fox /, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Acrolein, from Latin ācr-, ācer "sharp, acrid" + oleum oil entry 1 + German -in -in entry 1 — more at acr-

First Known Use

circa 1857, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

acrolein

noun

acro·​le·​in ə-ˈkrō-lē-ən 

: a toxic colorless liquid aldehyde C₃H₄O with acrid odor and irritating vapors that polymerizes readily into resins and is used chiefly in organic synthesis (as of methionine)

called also acrylaldehyde