acetone

noun

ac·​e·​tone ˈa-sə-ˌtōn 

: a volatile fragrant flammable liquid ketone C₃H₆O used chiefly as a solvent and in organic synthesis and found in abnormal quantities in diabetic urine

acetonic

ˌa-sə-ˈtä-nik 

adjective

Examples of acetone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Do not use acetone, paint thinner, or lacquer thinner on vinyl fencing, as these substances can damage the fence material. —Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024

By early evening, authorities deemed the building safe for normal use after determining the source of the smell was a bottle of acetone left behind by painters. —Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024

Erasing Household Stains Nail polish remover—in particular pure acetone—is a favorite multitasking stain removal agent for Chantelle Hartman Malarkey. —Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2024

On a train out of Moscow, a man attacked Dmitry Muratov, the editor in chief of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta and the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize last year, by dousing him in red paint mixed with the toxic chemical acetone. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French acétone, from (esprit pyro-)acétique, literally, "pyro-acetic spirit," an earlier name for acetone + -one -one

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

acetone

noun

ac·​e·​tone ˈas-ə-ˌtōn 

: an easily evaporated fragrant flammable liquid compound used chiefly to dissolve or to make chemical compounds

Medical Definition

acetone

noun

ac·​e·​tone ˈas-ə-ˌtōn 

: a volatile fragrant flammable liquid ketone C₃H₆O used chiefly as a solvent and in organic synthesis and found in abnormal quantities in diabetic urine

called also propanone

acetonic

ˌas-ə-ˈtän-ik 

adjective