acetone

IPA/ˈæsɪtəʊn/
KK[ˈæsətˌon]IPA/ˈæsɪtəʊn/

acetone — noun

1. a liquid chemical with a sharp smell that is used to dissolve substances such as

1.nounC1
Definition

a liquid chemical with a sharp smell that is used to dissolve substances such as paint, clean some surfaces, and make other chemicals.

Example

The technician cleaned the metal part with acetone before painting it.

clean with acetone before painting

A bottle of acetone sat beside the brushes in the workshop.

pattern: a bottle of acetone

Common collocations
  • a bottle of acetone
  • acetone fumes
  • acetone smell
  • pure acetone
  • clean with acetone
Synonyms
  • solvent

    a broader word for any liquid that dissolves another substance, so acetone is only one type

  • nail-polish remover

    a consumer product that may contain acetone, so it is less exact than the chemical name

  • paint thinner

    a broader product term that may refer to mixed liquids rather than pure acetone

Grammar Patterns

a bottle of acetone

clean with acetone

remove nail polish with acetone

the smell of acetone

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. It often appears in lab, workshop, and beauty-product contexts, especially after 'bottle of' or with verbs such as 'clean', 'remove', and 'dissolve' when speakers mean the chemical itself.

Common Mistakes

This remover is made of acetones.
This remover is made with acetone.
the word is usually uncountable when naming the chemical.
I acetoned the paint off the chair.
I removed the paint with acetone.
in ordinary English, acetone is normally a noun, not a verb.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Acetone' is the name of one specific chemical. 'Solvent' is a wider word for any liquid that can dissolve another substance, so acetone is one kind of solvent, not a full synonym in every sentence. 'Nail-polish remover' is a consumer product; it may contain acetone, but it can also include oils, scents, or other chemicals. 'Paint thinner' is also broader and often means a mixed product made for paint work, not necessarily pure acetone. Use 'acetone' when you want the exact chemical name, especially in lab, workshop, or safety instructions. A salon worker may reach for nail-polish remover, but a lab label is more likely to say acetone.

acetone ↗solvent ↗nail-polish removerpaint thinner

Common collocations

Nouns

  • acetone fumes
  • acetone smell
  • acetone residue

Phrases

  • clean with acetone
  • soak in acetone
  • remove nail polish with acetone
  • wipe with acetone

Prepositions

  • with acetone
  • in acetone

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The word entered English from French 'acétone' in the nineteenth century. The French scientific name was formed from 'acetic acid', because chemists linked the substance with that acid when they named it.

First known use

1837

1837, in the meaning defined above