ketone

noun

ke·​tone ˈkē-ˌtōn How to pronounce ketone (audio)
: any of a class of organic compounds (such as acetone) characterized by a carbonyl group attached to two carbon atoms
ketonic adjective

Examples of ketone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last week, Democratic senators questioned Oz about his record of pitching unproven treatments like green coffee beans and raspberry ketones for weight loss. Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025 He’d been hauled in to defend his habit of promoting unconventional supplements for weight loss, including green coffee beans, raspberry ketones, and an Asian tropical fruit called garcinia cambogia, on his daytime-television talk show. Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2025 Medium chain triglycerides: Provide additional energy to the brain through ketones. Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2025 Overall, the researchers found that daily blood ketone levels were correlated with daily positive changes in mood, energy, impulsivity and anxiety but not with the speed of thought. New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ketone

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Keton, coinage based on Aceton acetone

Note: The German term Keton was apparently the coinage of the chemist Leopold Gmelin (1788-1853), who introduced it in Handbuch der organischen Chemie, 1. Band, 4. Auflage (Heidelberg, 1848), p. 40 passim. Gmelin characterized ketones as "Acetone im allgemeinen" ("acetones in general"), acetone being the smallest and simplest ketone.

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ketone was in 1851

Cite this Entry

“Ketone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ketone. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

ketone

noun
ke·​tone ˈkē-ˌtōn How to pronounce ketone (audio)
: an organic compound (as acetone) with a carbonyl group attached to two carbon atoms

More from Merriam-Webster on ketone

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